As farmers gathered in Westminster to protest about UK Government changes to inheritance tax, others headed to the cattle market in Ross to show their support for the farming community
Last month, the UK Government announced changes to inheritance tax, which will see farm land, buildings and assets worth more than £1 million, taxed at 20 per cent from April 2026. The NFU estimates that two thirds of farmers would be affected by the changes but the Labour government insists that 75 percent of farmers will not be affected.
Farmers fear the reintroduction of the inheritance tax will effectively prevent family farms being passed intact from one generation to the next without a large debt to accompany the inheritance.
While the national protest centred in Westminster with supporters including Jeremy Clarkson - a latter-day farmer himself and the target for Labour’s reasoning for introducing the new 20 percent rate of tax - farmers from Ross, Monmouth and surrounding countryside descended upon Ross livestock market in a show of solidarity for the industry.
Organised by farmer’s wife Emma Mapp from Tenbury Wells, she welcomed everybody to the market and thanked Ross Livestock market for allowing them to use the venue.
Also speaking were Lucie Hammond from Hazlewoods Accountants, David Edwards, an agricultural supplies merchant from Ludlow and Ellie Lovell, the Farmers Weekly Young Farmer of the Year.
Ellie spoke passionately to the crowd on how her family will suffer due to the upcoming changes to Inheritance Tax
“I’m a third generation farmer, my grandfather's 89. We have 900 dairy cows and employ 15 members of staff, my father works full time in the business, my brother works full time and as it sounds right now as if I'm going get two lots of inheritance tax. My father's 60 and, being realistic, my grandfather's not going to live seven years to pass anything down.
“My father who has worked on the farm all his life believing he will get the farm, for inheritance tax purposes he’s now going to have to gift it straight to me or my brother and get no benefit from it.”
Closer to Monmouth, councillors for Mitchel Troy and Trellech ward, Richard John and Jayne McKenna, have been visiting farms in their ward to show their support.
Both represent one of the most rural wards in Monmouthshire and have warned the changes could mean the death of many local family farms.
The pair have been visiting local farms in their ward, including Square Farm near Mitchel Troy and the Parsons Ridge near Dingestow, to show solidarity with the agricultural community.
Cllr Richard John said, “These proposed changes show a complete lack of understanding of rural communities. Preventing farms being passed from one generation to the next will effectively kill off family farms.
“While some farmers might be asset rich, profit margins are so thin, the only way to pay an inheritance tax bill upon the death of a parent would be to break up the farm and sell part of it. And it would most likely be lost from agriculture forever.”
Cllr Jayne McKenna said, “Living on a farm myself, I know that farming is a way of life in Monmouthshire. These changes would be devastating for a rural county like Monmouthshire, where farming is such a big employer.
“We have some phenomenal food producers in Monmouthshire but their role is now under threat.
“The UK Government must listen to the farming community and withdraw these plans before they do irreparable damage to our county.”
