Steve Reed’s speech descended into chaos this morning (Image: Getty / PA)
Farming Secretary Steve Reed was subjected to a brutal showdown with furious farmers this morning, as his speech to the NFU conference was repeatedly interrupted with heckling and protests.
Farmers accused the Government of treating elderly farmers as “collateral damage”, as many mull ending their lives before next April in order to save their estate from Rachel Reeves’ inheritance tax grab.
Mr Reed repeating his apology that the government had been forced to make the decision, however this was met with shouts from the audience and one farmer accusing him of telling hard-pressed farmers to just “take it on the chin”.
The NFU president Tom Bradshaw also took aim at Rachel Reeves, condemning her refusal to meet with him.
Mr Bradshaw quipped: “Perhaps if I offered to meet her in Davos she’d be more willing.”
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Mr Reed’s speech was hit by protesters (Image: Getty)
Mr Reed’s speech was interrupted within minutes by attendees silently holding a sign, reading: “How high up your ‘pecking order’ is eating, Steve?”
The Q&A afterwards was even more brutal, with one farmer accusing the Cabinet Minister of talking “nonsense”.
David Passmore, a farmer from South Oxfordshire, cited the case of his elderly mother-in-law, whose “best tax advice is to now die before April next year”.
Asked what he would say to his mother-in-law, Mr Reed insisted he could not speak about individual circumstances, a heartless response that drew furious shouting from the audience.
He argued that his focus on improving the profitability of farms will mitigate the harm from Rachel Reeves’ IHT grab, however Mr Passmore hit back: “Profitability won’t help these people and you say 7 years, they haven’t got 7 years.
“An uplift in farm profits won’t stop some of these people doing the unthinkable. It just won’t. It’s nonsense!
“You’re acknowledging these people are just a bit of friendly fire/collateral damage of tax policy. That’s appalling!”
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Steve Reed was condemned by NFU members (Image: Getty)
Mr Reed was also told that elderly farmers are now “wishing their lives away”, and asked whether they should “just take it on the chin and accept there’s a ‘black hole’” in the public finances.
The Secretary of State argued “no one should wish their lives away”, before being slapped down by an audience member who pointed out: “Well they are as a result of your policies”.
Farmer Jo Stanley from Rutland won a large round of applause for describing the IHT grab as an “issue that is sucking all the oxygen out of the room for everything else that we might want to talk about.”
Mr Stanley blasted: “When every farm business owner, farm business expert, farm tax planner and farm representative body is able to demonstrate to you and your government you have your sums wrong on APR and BPR, why do you continue to think you know better?”
In his speech Mr Reed said he couldn’t give the answer many of those in the room want on IHT, but insisted he “understands the strength of feeling in this room”.
He announced changes to seasonal visas and a new unit for farm profitability in DEFRA.