Our recent Labour Party's disastrous budget (their first in 14 years), had a number of nasty elements; the worst of which was an attack on our farmers.
Small family owned farms have been the backbone of British food-producing since Adam.
Passing-on the family farm from Father to Son/Daughter, free of inheritance tax, has meant that there has been a continuity in the quality and standard of UK food production.
But now, dear Rachel Reeves (who has probably never visited a family-run farm in her life) has decided that all this must end. All farms valued over £1Million will now attract 20% inheritance tax when passed-on.
Most small farms just about make ends meet, any profit usually goes on new equipment or infrastructure. Most also live with huge amounts of debt. There would be nothing left for a massive tax bill, making it obligatory for the beneficiary to sell-up. The knock-on effect of this tax will be disastrous.
I would like to suggest that the fragrant Ms Reeves watches the BBC TV programme 'This Farming Life' which shows exactly how strenuous life can be. We should be grateful to our farmers, not kick them in the boll*cks.
This Socialist policy is possibly the most disastrous of all their budget horrors. It will effect every one of us. Less food will be grown here, we will need to import more, and those who were doing a really good job for their country will end-up twiddling their thumbs. Smaller farms will, in future, end-up as home to little Penelope's Ponies and Alpacas.
When Labour promised not to tax 'working people', did they really think that farmers don't work? Farming involves skills that are passed from generation to generation, and you take all that away at your peril.
But don't be too depressed. No doubt a different party will reverse this shortly.
What on earth were Labour thinking!
Haven't seen This Farming Life here but did watch Jeremy Clarkson's programme on his farm and was amazed at all the regulations put in the way of farmers.
ReplyDeleteI only saw one or two editions of Clarkson; he's very funny.
DeleteIt's not just Reeves - just how many of her fellow cabinet members or advisors, or Two Tier Kier, have ever realised that food doesn't grow on a Waitrose shelf, it comes from real farms in the real country - that bit of the UK full of all of those horrible nasty individuals who dare to not vote Labour. This is part and parcel of the same vindictive and spiteful attitude behind the VAT raid on private schools.
ReplyDeleteThey want to tax anything they don't understand.
DeleteI have seen the light. I voted Reform but realise the error of my ways.
ReplyDeleteUs labours have to defend ourselves from independent wealth creators. Blackrock and that strange Windows chappy are only rescuing the situation and if the paragon of virtue what is Kier can make a bob or two from bankrupting farmers so they can buy their land then that is fine and just. I heard Stammer mention once or twice that his dad was a toolmaker. He overdid that a bit as even the daftest of the Far Right realised what his dad did, telling us once would have been enough.
I could go on but I've got so much to learn and I'm finding the other us labours such intelligent and erudite people. People who have risen from lowly beginnings as tea lady at the BOE to Chancelloress of the UK just by getting a literate one of us labours to write a CV for her.
And manage to get porkies on her CV - she was never an economist as she claimed. Not to mention having her parliamentary credit card suspended - good recommendation for a future chancellor?
DeleteI'd love to see Angela Rayner's CV. It's probably blank.
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