The new Chairman of the Isle of Wight branch of the County Land and Business Association (CLA), Alex Haig-Thomas, has urged the Labour Government to reconsider capping vital inheritance tax reliefs that will hit family farms.
Mr Haig-Thomas replaced Colin Boswell at a committee meeting on Monday, in one of the most important rural roles on the Island.
Alex Haig-Thomas was brought up on the Essex-Suffolk coast where his family has farmed for 3 generations, before moving to Barton Manor here on the Isle of Wight in 2012. On the Island, he now manages a diversified estate consisting of forestry and let grassland, furnished holiday lets and outbuildings used for weddings and rented office space.
He becomes chair at a time when farming is rarely out of the news headlines. In the recent Budget, the Chancellor announced that vital inheritance tax reliefs that help farmers pass on their businesses from one generation to the next will be capped, leading to fears across the industry that family farms would have to sell land to pay tax bills, hitting food security.
The CLA is campaigning for the reliefs – known as agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) – to be protected.
Alex has this week said:
“Farmers and landowners work long hours, day after day often including weekends, for very low incomes. APR and BPR allowed them to pass on their family businesses to the next generation, producing value for money food.
“Rachel Reeves’ family death tax will force them out of business, will cost consumers more and raise very little income. It must be stopped.”
Article continues below this advertisement
Tim Bamford, CLA South East Regional Director has said:
“We wish to place on record our sincere thanks to Colin for his tremendous work, ideas and enthusiasm over the course of his chairmanship.
“We are delighted to welcome Alex into the role and look forward to working closely with him over the next few years.”
Outgoing Chairman Mr Boswell said his 3 years in the chair’s seat had been characterised by the resurgence of the local community after Covid. He added:
“We now have two MPs rather than one, which should ensure every representation for the Isle of Wight, giving our branch an enlarged political role.
“I wish Alex a very busy time.”
Don’t waste your breath, Millibrain and Raynor already have plans for farmland. And it doesn’t involve food.
Many UK and Island farmers have been asleep
the last few years, they should have been watching
on YouTube what the they have been doing to Dutch
Farmers.
The world Economic Forum plan is to finish off
Farms, it is all about control.
Less food = Less population
Farmers are now concerned because it is affecting
them, no one cares about anything until it affects
them.
I care for everyone.
Look at the poor elderly who have had their winter
Fuel money stopped.
How many Farmers voted Labour!!
A significant part of our economic woes as a nation stem from Brexit. A significant proportion of farmers supported Brexit because the thought it would benefit them and have now changed their position as they realise that they it has not delivered. The Brexit mistake has a price tag and the farmers must share the cost along with everyone else. They were keen to shed central governance then so why do they think central government should give them special treatment now?