Keir Starmer and his Labour government risk robbing opportunities from a generation, according to aspiring farmer Henry Bailye.
Speaking on GB News, Henry joined his father Clive Bailye ahead of tomorrow’s farmers’ protest in London – where many working in the agricultural industry will be taking a stand against the government’s inheritance tax changes.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves sparked fury in October when she unveiled a tranche of new measures – including a tax on farms worth more than. £1 million, with an effective tax rate of 20 per cent on assets above the threshold, rather than the normal 40 per cent rate for inheritance tax.
Previously, farming business qualified for 100 per cent relief on inheritance tax on agricultural property and business property.
Henry Bailye spoke on GB News
GB NEWS / PA
Henry pleaded to Starmer on GB News, telling him to consider how the changes might affect future generations of farmers.
“It makes me feel disappointed in the government because they’re taking away something that me and I’m guesting all of my generation opportunities to become farmers when they’re older”, he said.
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Henry and Clive spoke to Martin Daubney on GB News
GB NEWS
“It makes me disappointed knowing I can’t get that opportunity.”
He added: “Think about how this affects my generation and how this affects their future of doing something they’ve dreamed about for years.”
Large demonstrations are expected in London on Tuesday as they bid to reverse “absolutely unacceptable” inheritance tax changes.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is holding a mass lobby of MPs with 1,800 of its members.
Rachel Reeves defended the move to GB News GB News Organisers and farming leaders say they have no concerns over potential trouble.
Speaking to reporters on his way to the G20 summit in Brazil, Starmer said it was important to support farmers, pointing to £5 billion over two years for farming in England, and said he was “absolutely confident the vast majority of farms and farmers will not be affected” by the tax changes.
Olly Harrison, one of the rally’s organisers, said of the Government: “They don’t know their own figures, they have not done any homework whatsoever.
“It’s embarrassing for them, how little research they’ve done on this before they brought it in.”
He warned the move could destroy UK food production, with family businesses in food processing and retailing, as well as farming, at risk from the changes.
He said the rally aimed to show “this is what we do, this is what we produce, this is whose future is being taken away”.