A new grassroots movement, Fairer Family Farming, has been launched across the UK to challenge recent government changes to Inheritance Tax (IHT) that threaten the future of Britain’s farming communities.
The campaign has been initiated by long-time family farmers David Passmore, campaign founder, Robin Hart OBE and Phil Merson, and is funded by everyday farmers nationwide. It is non-partisan, independent of industry bodies, and focused solely on securing a fair tax system for family farms, they say.
Following the October 2024 Budget, changes to IHT mean that farms – often valued above £1 million due to land prices – are now treated as high-value estates, despite most farmers earning the equivalent of an average household income. This policy risks forcing families to break up and sell farms to meet tax bills, jeopardising jobs, rural economies, and Britain’s food security.
Fairer Family Farming is urging the government to adopt a fairer approach that protects Britain’s farming heritage while ensuring tax integrity. The campaign supports an independent proposal from CenTax – the Centre for Analysis of Taxation – called the Minimum Share Rule. This approach would preserve Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) for genuine farmers while closing loopholes for passive investors.
David Passmore, campaign founder says farming isn’t just a job – it’s a way of life that sustains communities and powers local economies. “Current proposals risk dismantling businesses that have sustained communities for generations. That’s why we’re asking ministers to carefully consider the Centax proposal again and engage with Labour’s new rural MPs in order to ensure a fairer approach.”
Robin Hart OBE says: “The government’s changes have created an impossible choice for farming families. Without reform, so many of us will be forced to sell land simply to meet tax obligations. That outcome would damage local, rural economies and weaken the food supply we all rely on.”
“This campaign is about fairness and sustainability. Too many small, working farmers are impacted for very little tax gain. We need a tax system that can see the difference between people who work the land and those who just invest in it,” adds Phil Merson.
