Farmer Olly Harrison with his family (Image: Chris Neill)
A farmer has told how the Express has helped his father smile for the first time since Labour’s tax raiding budget.
The paper visited Olly Harrison, 43, earlier this week where he said he could be forced to sell some of the farm when he inherits it from his 76-year-old father Thomas to pay tax bills.
The family’s story made the front page of the newspaper today which included a photo of three generations of the family, including a beaming Thomas.
Olly said: “First time I’ve seen my dad smile since budget.”
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The Express has campaigned for Rachel Reeves to U-turn on her inheritance tax raid as part of ts Save Britain’s Family Farms crusade.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled reforms at last month’s Budget limiting the existing 100% relief for farms to only the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business property.
But the measure has sparked widespread fury from farmers who are demanding a U-turn.
Mr Harrison, who is an agricultural social media influencer, said that “in the Treasury’s eyes” his 1,400 acre farm in Prescot, Merseyside, is worth about £10 million, but added: “In my eyes it’s tools to grow food, with a lot of bank debt.”
The arable farm grows crops including wheat, which is used to make bread and cereal, and barley, which is used for animal feed and brewing.
Mr Harrison – who lives on the farm with fiancee Charlotte Ruddy and children Olivia, 12, James, two, and one-year-old Clara – added that it has lost money four out of the last five years due to poor harvests.
He said: “My dad’s worked all his life. But his lifetime’s work, his father’s work, we could have to sell 30% of it off just to stay living in the house.
“So then you think what am I doing it for if I can’t pass it on to the kids? Should I just give up now and pack up and go and do something else?”