A furious Lee Anderson vowed to “stand up” for farmers and wrote to Chancellor Rachel Reeves demanding she “reverse” her decision to introduce an inheritance tax on agricultural estates.

Currently, farms can be transferred to families with 100% exemption from Inheritance Tax, but from April 2026 only estates valued up to £1 million will benefit from full relief, while estates above this value will only attract 50%.

Campaigners argue sweeping changes to the sector will mean around 30% of England’s 209,000 farms will be affected by the new tax changes, meaning farmers who have cared for the land for generations may not be able to transfer their farms to their own. families.

Mr Anderson, Reform UK MP for Ashfield, took to

“This decision needs to be reversed quickly. Only Reform will stand up for our farmers.”

Ms Reeves sought to defend Labour’s decision, which appeared to go against promises made ahead of the General Election.

He claimed the new Budget measures would close a loophole for the “richest landowners” and put them on par with “middle-class families”.

But the letter from the UK Reform Party lashed out, saying: “This crackdown on farmers will decimate the country’s rural communities. Farming communities form the basis of rural areas in the UK; many farmers are barely able to afford a vibrant farmland.” “He can dig.” They often do not see it as an asset that can be sold and that they hope to pass on to the next generation.

“We call on you to abandon your politics and do what is right for the foundation of our country. Let us not bite the hand that feeds us.”

In December the National Farmers Union (NFU) reported that Steve Reed, then Shadow Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, had confirmed that Labor had no plans to change inheritance tax, including APR (Agricultural Property Relief), if it won the next election.

Speaking at the time, NFU President Minette Batters said: “It is good to see that Labor has listened to our concerns and understands the importance of continuing this policy.”

But speaking to LBC Radio, the Chancellor said: “If you’re a couple who own a home, you can transfer a million pounds to your children tax-free.

“If you have farmland or any land, now under our plans you can transfer another million pounds tax-free on top of that initial one million pound allowance. “And beyond that, there will be inheritance tax.

“Right now, Nick, the richest landowners in this country, not farmers, but wealthy landowners, pay no inheritance tax at all, while middle-class families do. That’s not right, and that’s why we closed that gap.”

Current NFU president Tom Bradshaw said farmers were “stunned” by Ms Reeves’ decision.

Meeting Environment Minister Steve Reed on Monday, Mr Bradshaw said current plans to replace Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) “must be reversed quickly”.

Mr Bradshaw added: “Farmers are rightly angry and concerned about their future and the future of their family farms, and have been reassured by ministers ahead of the budget that APR and BPR changes are off the table.

“The Treasury’s figures claiming this will only affect one in four British farms are misleading.

“It is clear that the government does not understand that family farms are not just small farms and that just because a farm is an asset does not mean that those who run it are rich.

“I said every penny the chancellor saves from this will come directly from the next generation having to tear up the family farm. This simply shouldn’t happen.”