Having secured a major climbdown on the Family Farm and Business Tax, Stuart Anderson MP has said that the government must now axe the tax altogether.
After fourteen months of constant campaigning, Stuart has welcomed a major concession in planned inheritance tax changes that would have affected thousands of family farms.
The changes would have cut the rate of Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BRP) in half after the first £1 million on combined agricultural and business assets from April 2026.
The policy was introduced in the Inheritance Tax Act 1984, to protect Britain's family farms from being sold and broken up.
Stuart has been a vocal critic of the changes, arguing it would devastate family farms, threaten national food security, and harm rural communities like South Shropshire.
Over 100,000 farms in England would have been affected by the tax hikes, with many facing bills of up to £293,220 for handing on their farms to future generations.
The government had said that the policy would target larger estates, but Stuart warned that it would hurt agricultural businesses that are asset-rich but cash-poor, with knock-on effects for the rural economy.
On 26th November 2026, the government announced plans to allow farmers to transfer their allowance to their spouse if one of them dies having not used their allowance.
On 23rd December 2025, the government announced a further change to its planned reforms.
In its latest statement, the government said that it has "listened to concerns of the farming community and businesses about the reforms."
The government has said that it will raise the inheritance tax relief threshold to £2.5 million.
This will allow spouses or civil partners to pass on up to £5 million in qualifying agricultural or business assets between them.
The changes will be introduced through an amendment to the Finance Bill in January, with 50% relief continuing to apply to qualifying assets above the new threshold.
The number of estates claiming relief affected by the reforms will be halved when the reforms take effect on 1st April 2026.
However, Stuart has said that the climbdown comes too late for many farms and rural businesses which have already closed for good.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data indicates that a record 6,270 agriculture, forestry, and fishing businesses ceased trading between October 2024 and September 2025.
Stuart has added that the government had "consistently missed opportunities" to make concessions to its planned changes.
- On 11th September 2024, Stuart warned against the changes which provide a vital lifeline to mulit-generational family businesses.
- On 29th October 2024, Stuart became one of the first MP's to call out the decision after it was announced in the Autumn Budget.
- On 3rd November 2024,Stuart said that the government's decision betrayed South Shropshire’s hard-working farming families.
- On 19th November 2024, Stuart welcomed farmers from South Shropshire to Parliament to protest against the Family Farm Tax.
- On 4th December 2024, Stuart joined fellow Conservative MPs in forcing a parliamentary vote on the subject, after a petition gathered 170,000 signatures.
- On 6th January 2025, Stuart warned the Prime Minister to "change course and start listening to the concerns of people in rural communities like South Shropshire."
- On 10th February 2025, Stuart renewed his opposition as almost a thousand South Shropshire signed a petition against the changes.
- On 26th May 2025, Stuart revealed that he had invited the Environment Secretary Steve Reed MP to meet with farmers in South Shropshire.
- On 7th August 2025, Stuart slammed a government impact assessment which stated that the Family Farms Tax will not have a "material impact on food security."
- On 23rd October 2025, Stuart urged the Chancellor Rachel Reeves must use the Autumn Budget on 26th November 2025 to reset relations with rural communities.
- On 22nd November 2025, Stuart supported Farming Action Day with renewed opposition to upcoming hikes in inheritance tax on local farmers and family businesses.
- On 16th December 2025, Stuart supported a 'Reasoned Amendment' to the Bill, which would have declined parliamentary approval due to the changes.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"After fourteen months of constant campaigning, I am glad that we have secured the government's climbdown on its Family Farm and Business Tax. However, these changes come far too late for too many family farms in South Shropshire and beyond which have already closed for good. The government has consistently missed opportunities to make these overdue concessions to its planned changes. This last-minute concession is a major admission of guilt from an incompetent government that has consistently wreaked havoc on rural and farming communities. We will never forget the huge distress that this government has needlessly inflicted on rural communities like ours. The government must now axe the tax altogether.”
