Farmers are the custodians of our countryside, and we rely on them to feed our nation, but the Government’s proposed changes to both the Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs will suck the life out of British Farming.
But it’s not just the changes to Inheritance Tax that will have a detrimental impact on our rural way of life – earlier this year the Government scrapped mental health funding support for farmers, and closed, without warning, applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
In response to this, I set up my South Suffolk Farming Group in February 2025. The aim of the meeting was to discuss how we can best support British agriculture moving forward, and the impact of Labour's Family Farm Tax. Representatives from the National Farmers Union, the Country Land and Business Association, and the Rural Payments Agency also attended the meeting.
If you are a South Suffolk based farmer and would like to get involved in the group, please contact me on [email protected] or fill in the survey at the bottom of this page.
Family Farm Tax
Ever since the Government first came forward with their proposed changes to Inheritance Tax, also known as the Family Farm Tax, I have been pressing the Government to ditch their plans. Most recently, I wrote to the Chancellor ahead of the Autumn Budget urging her again to reconsider. In response, I have received the worst ever ‘Ministerial’ reply in my entire time as an MP.
It isn’t signed by a Minister; has clearly not been read by Rachel Reeves, let alone one of her Ministers; and not a single one of the points I made – from the impact on mental health, to the chilling effect on rural businesses – have been answered.
You can find a copy of my letter and the Treasury's response at the bottom of this page. In addition, you can watch my Point of Order regarding the correspondence HERE.
I will continue to keep the pressure on the Government to review their damaging policies that are impacting British farming. Keep up to date with the Written Parliamentary Questions that I table to DEFRA, HERE.
Mental Health Support
A key point that is always raised with me when I meet with the farming community is the impact of the Family Farm Tax on mental health and wellbeing. This is exactly why I met with Yellow Wellies in Westminster earlier this year to mark their 'Mind Your Head' week. Below you can find a range of helpful resources aimed to support you.
Yellow Wellies: https://www.yellowwellies.org/
Yellow Wellies contact directory: https://www.yellowwellies.org/LittleBookOfMindingYourHead_5thEdition_1122/?page=74
YANA: https://www.yanahelp.org/
NFU: https://www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/find-wellbeing-support-in-your-area/
DEFRA: https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/wellbeing-support-for-farmers/
Farming Community Network: https://fcn.org.uk/help-health-issues/
Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/
March 2026 Updates
Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2026:
- FETF is a grant to help you invest in equipment and technology for your business
- Grants are available between £1,000 and £25,000 per theme (see below)
- Productivity equipment
- Animal health and welfare
- Slurry management
- Applications close at midday on Tuesday 28th April
- To apply, see here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-fetf-2026
Consultation on mandatory animal health and welfare proposals:
- DEFRA has launched a consultation on their proposed measures which they believe are designed to strengthen animal health and welfare across the livestock sector
- The consultation closes on Monday 18th May
- If you would like to respond, please see here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/animal-health-and-welfare-pathway-mandatory-proposals
SFI26:
- The Government have announced that the SFI will return in the summer
- The new offer includes 71 actions, down from 102 in the SFI24. DEFRA state they have focussed on removing actions with low uptake or those that delivered less for food production or the environment
- Some payment rates have also been reduced, and caps introduced for the enhanced overwinter stubble actions, and an overall cap of £100,000 on new annual agreements
- Window 1 will open for applicants in June 2026 and will be available to 2 groups:
- Small farms
- Farms without an existing environmental land management (ELM) revenue agreement
- Window 2 will open in September 2026 for all farms
Capital Grants Offer 2026
- £225 million will be available to support farmers, land managers and rural businesses to deliver environmental improvements across England
- The offer will open in July
- Funding is available for a range of items, from hedgerow and tree planting, to water quality improvement works
You can find copies of recent letters that I have written to the Government about farming, and their responses below.
