Sir Keir Starmer has distanced himself from feedback by a former Tony Blair adviser who mentioned Britain “doesn’t need small farmers”.
The prime minister mentioned he “totally disagrees” with John McTernan, who mentioned he was in favour of doing to farmers “what Margaret Thatcher did to the miners”.
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The previous Conservative prime minister closed down coal mines throughout her premiership, which was seen as the start of the top of Britain’s once-mighty coal trade.
Requested about Mr McTernan’s remarks throughout a Q&A on the COP29 convention, Sir Keir mentioned: “I am completely dedicated to supporting our farmers, I mentioned that earlier than the election and I mentioned it after the election.
“I was very pleased that we’re investing £5bn of our budget for the next two years into farming.
“I feel it is important that they not solely prosper, however prosper properly into the long run, so I completely disagree with these feedback.”
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Farmers really feel ‘betrayed’ after finances
Sir Keir has been caught up in a row with farmers after the finances launched a tax of 20% on inherited farming property above £1m.
Farming teams warn the change can have a “catastrophic” impression on household farms and have threatened to go on strike and blockade ports except there’s a change after all.
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John McTernan
“This is an industry we can do without,” he mentioned.
“If people are so upset they want to go on the street and spray slurry on them, then we don’t need the small farmers.”
Mr McTernan’s feedback have been attacked by senior Tories, with shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick accusing Labour of a “politics of bitterness and envy” relating to the tax measures.
Feedback ‘shockingly irresponsible’
A Labour supply branded his feedback “shockingly irresponsible nonsense from someone who does not represent the government”.
“Farmers will still be able to pass on family farms from generation to generation, and rightly so. By stopping wealthy individuals buying up farmland to avoid inheritance tax we will keep land values affordable for a new generation of farmers.”
Inheritance tax reduction at the moment permits farmers to cross on their land and property tax-free to their households, both inside their lifetimes or of their will.
On the finances, Chancellor Rachel Reeves introduced that from April 2026 the 100% reduction can be restricted to solely the primary £1m of mixed agricultural and enterprise property.
For something above that, landowners can pay a 20% tax charge, relatively than the usual 40% charge of inheritance tax (IHT) utilized to different land and property.
Ministers have insisted that solely round 1 / 4 of farmers – the most important landowners – shall be affected.
Nonetheless, farmers and unions say it is going to be rather more wide-ranging, with the potential to have an effect on 75% of meals manufacturing within the UK and making the price of British meals dearer.
