Danny Chambers responds to cross-party report on disastrous Family Farm Tax

Local Liberal Democrat MP Danny Chambers has responded to a new cross-party report from the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee, which urges the Government to not only delay controversial changes to family farm inheritance tax, but consider alternative schemes that will not harm family farming businesses.

The report warns that reforms announced in last year’s Autumn Budget were rushed through without proper consultation or impact assessments, creating uncertainty for family farms, land values, tenant farmers, and food security across the UK. The committee recommends delaying final decisions until October 2026, allowing for alternative schemes to be explored.

Responding to the report, Danny Chambers said:
“The Government needs to start listening to farmers and admit they’ve got this one wrong.

“The Liberal Democrats have been urging the Government from the very start to axe the family farm tax and protect those farmers who have already been failed so badly by the Conservative Party’s unfair trade deals, while dealing with rocketing bills and plunging incomes.

“We understand the need to stop farmland being exploited as a tax avoidance scheme by the super-rich who have no interest in farming, but the government’s approach has hit so many families who have been farming for generations, fighting to stay in operation.

"It’s not too late for the Government to acknowledge this and rethink their approach.”