Local Aylesbury MP Laura Kyrke-Smith was asked by Bucks Radio for a comment on yet another day of farming protests in the county town. She said: “I meet regularly with farmers here in the constituency and I recognise the strength of feeling that exists about the changes to Agricultural Property Relief.
The Labour MP for Aylesbury continued, "Our country's food security is absolutely vital and our farmers are at the heart of this. The Government has invested a record £5bn in sustainable food production. I will continue to work with our farmers to ensure that this investment supports them in the right way, and boosts the profitability of their farms."
This statement came as farmers from North Buckinghamshire conducted a second day of protests in Aylesbury, Yesterday, (24th March 2025), opposing proposed changes to inheritance tax rules. The demonstration, organized by Save British Farming, coincided with a parliamentary debate on an e-petition that has garnered over 148,000 signatures, urging the government to maintain current inheritance tax exemptions for working farms.
The government's proposed changes, set to take effect in April 2026, would introduce a 20% inheritance tax on farms valued over £1 million, removing the current exemption that allows family farms to be passed down without incurring inheritance tax.
Tractors descending on Aylesbury last month.
Farmers argue that these changes threaten the viability of family-run farms, potentially leading to their sale and negatively impacting the agricultural sector. The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has expressed strong opposition, with NFU President Tom Bradshaw stating that the changes represent a "death tax which is unaffordable and unacceptable."
Despite the protests and significant public support, the government maintains that the reforms are necessary and fair, asserting that most farms will not be affected due to the £1 million threshold and provisions for interest-free, ten-year payment plans.
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