Farmers’ children have penned letters to Chancellor Rachel Reeves (Image: Various)
Children have urged Rachel Reeves not to “destroy the future of family farms” by reversing her inheritance tax raid.
Youngsters from across the country have penned emotive letters to the Chancellor warning that their futures are at risk if the farms they grew up on get sold to foot the tax bill.
In October’s Budget, the Chancellor announced that from April 2026 agricultural and business property assets worth more than £1million will be taxed at an effective rate of 20%. Assets below that level will still receive 100% relief.
The Daily Express has demanded a U-turn on the changes with its Save Britain’s Family Farms crusade.
Leo Aveling, eight, from Litchborough, Northamptonshire, said: “I am a farmer who knows how to grow food. I would be heartbroken with the Government if we were forced to sell the farm to pay the inheritance tax bill. But what I would not want to see is the farm being used to build houses on instead of growing food.”
His brother Arthur, aged 10, added: “Due to the Budget, if my parents died and gave me the farm, I would possibly have to sell the farm to pay the inheritance tax. I want to see my farm producing food for Britain’s future generations.”
The Treasury estimates the changes will raise up to £520million a year. But farmers and campaigners said they threaten the future of thousands of multi-generational family farms.
Dougie Taylor, six, of Cedar Farm, Buckinghamshire, told Ms Reeves: “Please leave our farm alone.”
His brother Austin, 10, said: “Don’t take away my family farm. I want it to be there when I grow up.”
In her letter to Ms Reeves, 11-year-old Poppy Heady, from North Buckinghamshire, said: “I want to be a farmer like my dad, my grandpa, my great grandpa and my great great grandpa.
“I would like you to reconsider the family farm tax as this could destroy the future of family farms like mine.
“British farmers should be supported. We meet higher standards than other countries and I feel we grow the best food. Please protect our farm.”
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Iestyn Dillon, 13, and Iwan Dillon, 11, from Carmarthenshire, Wales, said: “We both share a passion and love for the countryside. Our parents and grandparents before us have had the privilege of being farmers and living and sharing the same love and commitment to the countryside.
“Your announcement in the Budget really worries us that this will affect us and many others.
“Without our shows and markets, and possibly having to sell family farms to help pay inheritance tax, taking away many years of building up family history and memories is deeply upsetting.
“My brother and I know farming is hard work but we love it. All we want to do when we grow up is play our part in helping to feed the nation but we are afraid that this will no longer be possible because of your policies.
“Please reconsider your decision so that there can be a future in this important industry for keen farmers like us. No farmers, no food, no future.”
Siblings Jac Lewis, 17, Maggie, 14, and 10-year-old Caio, said: “We are writing to you today to ask you to reconsider the changes you have made to the agriculture inheritance tax.
“As we are the fourth generation on our family farm in Carmarthenshire, Wales, where we help every day with feeding and looking after the animals on our hill farm.
“If no change is done, we will not be able to carry out our wishes to carry on the farming in the future.
“Jac, the eldest of us three, is autistic and the farming life is great for his learning skills. So please would you reconsider your changes so we have a future providing our country with local and healthy produce.”
On Tuesday, children donated hundreds of their farming toys, including tractors and diggers, to charity in a bid to symbolise the farms threatened by the Chancellor.
National Farmers’ Union (NFU) president Tom Bradshaw said: “Every toy represents a farming family which may no longer have a future because of the changes to inheritance tax.”
Bert Church, five, donated a toy to the collection outside the Treasury with his parents Hazel and Tom, both 44, and grandfather Martin Towler.
Fourth-generation farmer Hazel told how the family has been rearing sheep and cattle on their farm in Bedfordshire since 1945.
Tom, NFU group secretary for the country, said: “We just want to keep hold of that farm to give him [Bert], and the rest of the family, because there’s a lot more of us.
“The in-laws have got pools of kids. There’s nine grandchildren that Martin’s got and we want to keep it there as a small, viable business.”
He added: “I’m hopeful there will be some concession at some point, however, the membership of the NFU and the farmers as an industry, everybody has an ideal line in the sand.”
It came as the NFU hosted its annual conference in Westminster where Mr Bradshaw gave a blistering speech against the “morally wrong” inheritance tax changes.
Mo Metcalf-Fisher, of the Countryside Alliance, said: “We are fighting for the future of the next generation of young farmers. We hope Rachel Reeves gives the next generation an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of farmers before them, by rethinking her disastrous family farm tax now.”
A government spokeswoman said: “Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast.
“This Government will invest £5billion into farming over the next two years, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history. We are going further with reforms to boost profits for farmers by backing British produce and reforming planning rules on farms to support food production.
“Our reform to Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs will mean farmers will pay a reduced inheritance tax rate of 20%, rather than the standard 40% for other businesses, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free.
“This is a fair and balanced approach, which fixes the public services we all rely on, affecting around 500 estates a year.”