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.

The Farmers Guardian podcast: Farmers take Government to the High Court

The Farmers Guardian news team speak to claimant Tom Martin and discuss last week's court case

Alex Black

24 March 2026 • 1 min read

Podcasts

The Farmers Guardian podcast: Farm Retail Association patron Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall says people have an 'appetite for food with a story'

The Farm Retail Association (FRA) conference focused on making the most of your diversified farm business, whilst focusing on the wider benefits to society - food miles, the economic contribution of farm shops and markets and the national health crisis. Emily Ashworth speaks to chef and TV presenter Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall about farm-to-fork connection and if it really means something, and former FRA chair Emma Mosey, farmer and farm shop owner

Emily Ashworth

17 March 2026 • 1 min read