At a time when the government claims to champion a resilient, sustainable food system, its inheritance tax reform proposals risk undermining the very foundation of that vision: Britain’s family farms. Draft legislation, due to take effect in April 2026, would see a 20% inheritance tax levied on farming assets... Read more

Few industries are so dependent on the weather as farming. Not even tourism is so much at the mercy of the elements. If harvest is the end of the farming calendar, then this summer marks the culmination of yet another challenging season – although the weather has been different... Read more

Good politicians know when to change their minds – and aren’t afraid to do so when the time is right. Especially when mounting evidence suggests that doggedly pursuing a policy will harm the very people it was designed to protect. This is the challenge facing the government after a... Read more

Next month marks the conclusion of the  government’s long-awaited spending review – the culmination of months of wrangling over how much money the country has to spend and indeed what it should be spent on. The review is one of those dull but important things Westminster watchers get very... Read more

It’s hard to think of another government in recent memory dishing out so much pain to farmers who feed the nation. Last month’s shock decision by Defra to close the flagship Sustainable Farming Incentive to new applications with immediate effect was as brutal as it was unfair. It was... Read more