Swathes of rural Labour MPs are set to betray their farming constituents this afternoon as the Conservatives force a vote on the hated ‘family farm tax’.
Kemi Badenoch’s Party are using today’s Opposition Day to put forward a motion cancelling controversial changes to farmers’ inheritance tax announced in Labour’s recent Budget.
Most backbench Labour MPs will have had no idea about Reeves’ inheritance tax hike on farmers before the budget, but this vote will force them to support or oppose it publicly.
By supporting it, they risk enraging rural constituents and damaging often slim majorities, but the alternative is to defy the government and risk having the Labour whip withdrawn.
An act of defiance is something many fresh-faced members five months into their parliamentary careers will be keen to avoid.
This is particularly so after Starmer removed the Labour whip from seven MPs who defied him to vote for an opposition amendment calling for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped.
Mo Metcalf-Fisher, Director of External Affairs at the Countryside Alliance, said: “The Treasury still appears to be in denial about the reality this unpopular policy will have on the future of British farming.
“It is important that the rural community and concerned members of the public bombard MPs email inboxes ahead of Wednesday’s vote, so they understand the strength of feeling out there against the family farm tax.
“We need MPs, irrespective of party, to stand up for our farmers on Wednesday and we hope that Rachel Reeves reconsiders this damaging policy before it’s too late.”
GB News has analysed rural constituencies across Britain and generated the ten Labour MPs set to betray the greatest number of constituents should they vote in favour of the farm tax.
Seat forecast of Britain according to Nowcast model (November 2024)
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Mid and South Pembrokeshire / Henry Tufnell (Majority – 1,878)
Britain’s ‘poshest MP’ made headlines on the weekend after the Mail revealed his family moved hundreds of acres into tax efficient trusts days before Reeves announced her inheritance tax hike.
Representing a rural seat in Pembrokeshire, the privately educated ex-barrister has come under fire for overegging his links to the seat and the farming community.
Expert estimates put the number of farms in Pembrokeshire at roughly 1,000, meaning Mr Tufnell will be betraying several thousand constituents should he toe Labour’s line this afternoon.
Derbyshire Dales / John Whitby (Majority – 350)
With 1,275 registered farms in the constituency, the Derbyshire Dales has one of the highest numbers of farms in the UK, and one of the smallest majorities.
Labour won the seat by just 350 votes, with the Tories close behind. The prospect of voting in favour of imposing farm-threatening death duties on many of his constituents will not fill Whitby with hope, but anything less would be seen as a betrayal by many of his constituents.
South West Norfolk / Terry Jermy (Majority – 630)
The Labour MP for South West Norfolk has already begun breaking ranks on social media, calling for reassurance “on the scale of the impact and confirmation that the figures are accurate.”
This is because Mr Jermy fears he will be betraying many constituents in South West Norfolk, a predominantly rural constituency with 408 farm holdings previously represented by Liz Truss, by voting for the tax hike this afternoon.
Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr / Steve Witherden (Majority – 3,815)
Another who has been questioning the Treasury’s modelling of inheritance tax has been Labour MP Steve Witherden.
With around 4,766 farms in the Powys area, which includes Mr Witherden’s seat, the new MP will be feeling nervous about publicly backing Reeves’ hike on Wednesday and betraying his electorate.
No doubt emails will be flooding into Witherden’s inbox, many from Reform voters whose candidate came second in July behind Labour.
North West Cambridgeshire / Sam Carling (Majority – 39)
The 22-year-old ‘baby of the house’ will not be relishing the opportunity of defying the whip, but the alternative is to anger many hundreds of his rural constituents.
Llanelli / Nia Griffith (Majority – 1,504)
Another farming heavy constituency in Wales, Labour’s Nia Griffith has the choice of possibly condemning farms in her patch to extinction under Reeves’ tax plan or voting against the government and possibly losing the whip.
To make matters worse for Griffith, Reform UK is breathing down her neck as they are in many parts of Wales. Reform’s Gareth Beer came second here in the General Election.
Stirling and Strathallan / Chris Kane (Majority – 1,394)
Newly elected Labour MP Chris Kane is also set to betray many hundreds of farming constituents in his agricultural patch of Stirling and Strathallan this afternoon.
He won it from the SNP’s Alyn Smith in July, but with public support for farmers swelling Kane will be thinking about the impact on his majority at the next election as he heads for the voting lobbies today.
Forest of Dean / Matt Bishop (Majority – 278 votes)
With 751 farms registered in this constituency alone, Labour MP Matt Bishop is in an awkward position when it comes to voting today.
Bishop replaced former Tory big beast Mark Harper in July. By backing Reeves’ hike, Bishop looks set to lose the tiny majority keeping him in power at the next election.
He told the Independent that he wants to “reassure my constituents that my focus on farming and rural issues remains unwavering”. But will his vote today match up with his words?
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Samuel Kurtz, Conservative Senedd Member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, said: “Labour’s vindictive family farm tax threatens to destroy British farming as we know it.
“Farmers in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and across the UK will face devastating consequences.
“On Wednesday, MPs across the country have a choice: will they vote to axe the tax and save the family farm, or will they turn their backs on rural communities and support this damaging policy?”
A Government spokesperson said: “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.”
