In response to the Prime Minister comments at the Liaison Committee today NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “Despite ministers previously claiming this was about punishing wealthy people avoiding tax, it’s clear from the Prime Minister’s words today that it is simply an indiscriminate revenue-raising measure with no thought given to who it impacts.

“What’s worse is that the government has clearly forgotten the reason agricultural inheritance tax reliefs were brought in in the first place – which was to ensure that farms would not be sold or broken up following the death of the owner and could continue to produce high quality British food through each generation². It’s clear that this government has entirely broken with that premise, and it will be farming, then its associated industries, and then consumers who will bear the impact.”