Rachel Reeves has claimed her inheritance tax raid on farmers will fund the NHS ahead of planned protests in London today.
The Chancellor, who ended agricultural death duty exemptions in her maiden Budget last month, dug her heels in as ex-Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson prepares to join farmers demonstrating against the move.
She will now force farms worth more than £1million to face a 20 per cent inheritance tax levy.
Reeves, who is under fire over the accuracy of her seemingly coveted CV, said that Sir Keir Starmer’s Government had “taken difficult decisions” to fill funding gaps.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed added: “The reforms to agricultural property relief ensure that wealthier estates and the most valuable farms pay their fair share to invest in our schools and health services that farmers and families in rural communities rely on.”
Despite Labour defending the policy, the National Farmers’ Union has 1,800 members registered to lobby their local MPs in person in Westminster, while a separate protest has 15,000 people registered to attend a rally at Richmond Terrace.
Speaking ahead of today’s protest, NFU chief Tom Bradshaw said: “This is going to be a tax on unplanned death and the elderly who haven’t had time to plan for this. It’s just horrific what they are doing.
“At the moment we still haven’t been offered a meeting with the Chancellor. I cannot believe they mean the policy to have the impacts it’s going to have.
“The longer they go without changing direction it begins to feel vindictive rather than poorly planned.”
Bradshaw recently met with Environment Secretary Reed.
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