NFU President addresses Staffordshire farmers as industry battles ‘family farm tax’
NFU President Tom Bradshaw called for farmers to continue to stand together against the ‘family farm tax’ with firm plans in place to keep the pressure up and push for change.
He addressed around 60 NFU members at the Staffordshire NFU annual general meeting at the county showground about government’s planned changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR).
Mr Bradshaw said the pressure put on the agriculture and horticulture policy from the Budget and changes to inheritance tax would have “serious unintended consequences”.
He said support from thousands of farmers coming together on the issue at the NFU’s mass lobby and the separate rally had sent a clear message to Government but it was now vital for the work to continue and the NFU would keep going, driving the campaign work and lobbying.
Mr Bradshaw said: “What I have seen is a sense of togetherness that I have not seen in this industry for a long time, the support from NFU members and the industry has been incredible.
“The pressure put on our community from this family farm tax is completely unacceptable and there will be serious, unintended consequences.
“Be assured there is much more to be done and we have to all be focused on how we get the outcome that is needed.”
The government announced in the recent Budget that it will reform APR and BPR from April 2026. This will mean farm businesses will need to pay a tax rate of 20 per cent of agricultural assets valued over £1 million.
The NFU rejects the government’s claims that around three quarters of farm businesses in England will be unaffected by the changes to APR and highlights the contradictions between different government departments.
