This is the moment the President of the National Farming Union was moved to tears as he warned of the “most severe human cost” Reeves’ farm tax hike could have on the farming industry.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw was giving evidence to Defra’s select committee while tractors gathered outside Parliament to protest Labour’s budget.
On concerns Reeves’ death duties would hit older farmers who might die before they could make use of the seven-year gifting rule, Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi asked what mental health impacts the hike might have.
Mr Bradshaw replied: “It’s very clear the examples I’m being sent through are often middle aged farmers concerned about their parents or parent who doesn’t believe they have seven years to be able to plan.
“It’s an awful, awful, unacceptable position that those individuals have been put in.
“Somebody said earlier on they haven’t taken advice. That’s completely wrong. A lot of these people have spent the very best money on tax planning advice.
“And until the Chancellor announced her budget, the correct advice was to keep your they keep the farm until death.
“Now they don’t have any way to plan through that. And yet they’ve given everything to producing the food for this country in that period, post-Second World War.
“They really deserve a lot more respect than they have been given by the changes that are proposed.”
Mr Bradshaw then highlighted the most severe of all impacts Reeves’ tax could have.
Tom Bradshaw, NFU President, was moved to tears at Defra select committee
Parliament TV
“And I am going to talk about the most severe human impacts, which we believe could end up being triggered by this.
“Those people who genuinely are either in ill health or don’t believe that they are going to be able to live for seven years, may well decide that they shouldn’t be here on April 26th.
“No policy should ever be published that has that as an unintended side effect.
“Now, what I’m being told by some people is, well, money doesn’t trigger this, and I may agree with them that money doesn’t trigger it.
“But it’s not money. This is a lifetime of work. It’s the heritage.”
Bradshaw was then unable speaking as he was moved to tears thinking about farmers who may take their lives to beat Reeves’ tax changes.
Antoniazzi was visibly moved and the room was silent for a few seconds, the gravity of Mr Bradshaw’s warning hitting home.
The chair then asked if anyone else would like to come in on this point. Victoria Vyvyan, President of the Country Land and Business Association, warned there was a “terrible potential for suicide”.
Vyvyan added: “But you know, you’ve had it in your discussions in the House recently about assisted dying. The fact of the matter is, the nicest, most forbearing, most family conscious people will go, ‘oh, you could do without me’ whereas the real brutes never think that.”
It comes as thousands of farmers gridlock central London blasting their horns and calling Reeves a “grave robber”.
It also comes as Keir Starmer, after being challenged at PMQs on the farm tax, insisted the vast majority would not be affected.
Defra’s line to all GB News’s media requests on this issue has been met with the same quote.
“Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast – we have committed £5 billion to the farming budget over two years, including more money than ever for sustainable food production, and we are developing a 25-year farming roadmap, focusing on how to make the sector more profitable in the decades to come.
“Our reform to Agricultural and Business Property Relief will impact around 500 estates a year. For these estates, inheritance tax will be at half the rate paid by others, with 10 years to pay the liability back interest free. This is a fair and balanced approach which fixes the public services we all rely on.”
If you or someone you know needs help, you can call the Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year 116 123.
You can also drop MIND, the mental health charity, an email on mind.org.uk or call them on 0300 123 3393
