Farmers Guardian Podcast: Shadow Defra Secretary Victoria Atkins says Steve Reed must stand up to Chancellor over Inheritance Tax and criticises the Government for making a 'political choice' which will impact family farms

Rachael Brown

24 January 2025 • 1 min read

In this week's Farmers Guardian Podcast, chief reporter Rachael Brown spoke with Shadow Defra Secretary Victoria Atkins live at LAMMA at the NEC in Birmingham.

Ms Atkins criticised the Defra Secretary Steve Reed for not standing up to the Chancellor on the Inheritance Tax changes which have been 'imposed' on him. She accused the Government for making a 'political choice' to break up a 'careful tax policy' that protected family farms.

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She discusses her plans to restore trust between the Conservative party and the farming and rural community. She also shares her fears with the accelerated phasing-out of BPS and recent changes to the capital grants scheme, further cuts to farming could be coming down the line.

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Also in this episode, digital editor Emily Ashworth chats with beef farmer Martha Hayes, to find out why she has chosen to back Farmers Guardian's Save Britain's Family Farms campaign.

Crop it Like it's Hot: How one arable family has diversified their farm by producing a fresh oat drink

Join Ash Ellwood, Farmers Guardian head of arable, as she visits a family-run arable farm in Leicestershire, where third-generation farmer Miles Marlow-Thomas has recently diversified the farming business to create a fresh oat drink

Ashleigh Ellwood

31 October 2025 • 1 min read

Podcasts

The Farmers Guardian Podcast: AHDB's Emily Norton on why she is determined to show Westminster what farmers can do

As the latest farm assurance review update is published, the new chair of AHDB outlines her vision for the levy board and why restoring farmer confidence is key

Jane Thynne

28 October 2025 • 1 min read