During a recent Question Time debate, a BBC audience member ridiculed farmers protesting inheritance tax changes. His response to the issue? He said he would need to find “the world’s smallest violin” to express sympathy for their complaints.
The debate focused on measures introduced in the Budget, which propose imposing inheritance tax on farms valued over £1 million. Farmers and their supporters have voiced strong opposition, with around 13,000 protesting in central London this week. Among the marchers was Jeremy Clarkson, who clashed with reporters after defending his decision to buy his 1,000-acre Diddly Squat farm, claiming that avoiding inheritance tax was a key factor in the purchase.
Audience member criticises inheritance tax complaints
Speaking on Thursday evening, the audience member took aim at farmers’ objections, saying: “I keep hearing this term ‘cash-poor and asset-rich’, and my maths isn’t great, but for £400,000 in inheritance tax on a £5 million estate, I’m afraid you’ll need to find me the world’s smallest violin. It sounds crazy that someone with a £5 million estate, passing it down to their children, doesn’t pay tax.”
Harriet Baldwin defends farmers’ concerns
Tory MP and shadow business minister Harriet Baldwin shared a different perspective, noting that she had witnessed farmers “in floods of tears” over concerns for their family businesses. She emphasised that family farmers play a crucial role in providing food security for the UK.
Baldwin referenced a phrase from Clement Attlee after World War I, where the government vowed to prevent future food security issues. “Family farmers provide the milk in our supermarkets, the produce on our tables. To take a fifth of their farm every time it changes hands will erode not only their ability to pass down the land but also the traditions of farming,” she said.
Farmers’ union disputes government claims
The government suggests that around 500 claims a year will be affected by the inheritance tax changes. However, the farmers’ union disputes this, claiming that the number will be much higher.
On Friday, Labour leader Keir Starmer asserted that the government “is for farmers” and reiterated his stance that most farms would not be affected by the inheritance tax changes.
PM’s response to concerns
In response to farmers’ concerns, the Prime Minister stated that the vast majority of farms would be “completely unaffected” by the proposed changes. He also noted that the government had allocated £5 billion over two years to support sustainable food production, the largest investment in farming to date.
The PM further clarified that inheritance tax thresholds are designed to prevent the sale of most farms. “For typical family farms, the threshold before inheritance tax is paid is £3 million. There aren’t many farms sold above that amount each year. So, the vast majority of farmers won’t be affected,” he explained.
When questioned about the £1 million threshold figure, the PM confirmed that a £1 million allowance applies to farmland, with additional allowances for spousal and parent-to-child transfers. When combined, these allowances create a typical threshold of £3 million for family farms.
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