PM dismisses IHT policy reversal and impact on family farms at Liaison Committee hearing

Efra Chair Alistair Carmichael clashed with Sir Keir Starmer when he asked him to show empathy for family farms, elderly farmers and vulnerable farmers who could be negatively affected by the Government's reforms to Inheritance Tax

Chris Brayford
clock • 9 min read
During the Liaison Committee, Alistair Carmichael asked the Prime Minister: "It is not just the president of the NFU, you have heard it from Cat Smith, you have heard it from my Select [Efra]  Committee, you have heard it from the Welsh Affairs Committee, you have heard it from the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. These are all Select Committees incidentally that have majorities from the Labour Party and they have all produced unanimous reports calling for this to be paused and rethought. You do not have to listen to me, you do not even have to listen to the farmers out there and you don't listen to the president of the NFU, but why do you not listen to your own party colleagues?"
Image:

During the Liaison Committee, Alistair Carmichael asked the Prime Minister: "It is not just the president of the NFU, you have heard it from Cat Smith, you have heard it from my Select [Efra] Committee, you have heard it from the Welsh Affairs Committee, you have heard it from the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. These are all Select Committees incidentally that have majorities from the Labour Party and they have all produced unanimous reports calling for this to be paused and rethought. You do not have to listen to me, you do not even have to listen to the farmers out there and you don't listen to the president of the NFU, but why do you not listen to your own party colleagues?"

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has shut down any suggestion that the Government is willing to reconsider and rethink its approach to reforming Inheritance Tax, despite receiving pleas from Labour Party...

To continue reading...

Already a member? Login for full access.

Login

New to Farmers Guardian? Register for 1 free article per week or become a member for unlimited access to essential farming news and insights.

article-img-580x358

 

More on Politics

EXCLUSIVE - Caroline Voaden: "If we undermine British farming, we undermine our ability to feed the nation"

EXCLUSIVE - Caroline Voaden: "If we undermine British farming, we undermine our ability to feed the nation"

South Devon MP Caroline Voaden writes on why the Government's recent uplift to Inheritance Tax thresholds still fails to scratch the surface for family farms

Caroline Voaden
clock 29 January 2026 • 3 min read
Empty shelves on Shetland reminder of importance of food security, says MP

Empty shelves on Shetland reminder of importance of food security, says MP

Ferries unable to deliver food to the islands leave the community to rely on its resilience and food security

clock 28 January 2026 • 1 min read
Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign ended after IHT uplift, NFU confirms

Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign ended after IHT uplift, NFU confirms

The Government's uplift to IHT thresholds in December was the conclusion of NFU's 14 month campaign to stop the family farm tax. Should farmers still be campaigning to reverse the policy in full?

Chris Brayford
clock 28 January 2026 • 4 min read