Andy Burnham will not dare to challenge Labour's neglect of rural England if he succeeds Keir Starmer, a struggling farmer has told the Express. Philip Weston, 40, from Northamptonshire, whose family has owned Hartwell Park Farm since 1840, said the leadership hopeful's promise to "look again" at Chancellor Rachel Reeves' inheritance tax reforms fails to convince him that change is on the way.
Burnham's Pledge Under Scrutiny
Mr Burnham has pledged to "revisit" the Government's attack on agriculture, but Mr Weston believes his premiership would continue the precedent set by Sir Keir Starmer of neglecting rural England. "Keir Starmer said: 'We'll take care of farmers' before he came to power," Mr Weston told the Express. "Why should we think it's any different this time around? [Burnham] is just trying to make a show of doing things differently, and to that end he'll say anything."
Ms Reeves introduced a 20% inheritance levy on qualifying agricultural assets above a threshold of £1 million in her first Budget, later increased to £2.5 million in a partial government climbdown. Mr Weston said he spent thousands of pounds adjusting to the rules, before realising it had all been "pointless" when the threshold was raised in December. Although his farm is safe in the short term, he fears that rising land value and diversification costs could soon "push us and many others back into the danger zone."
Broader Rural Concerns
"The whole system Labour has in place is very anti-countryside and pro their own ideals," Mr Weston said. "They're clearly prioritising housebuilding and green energy over food production." He added: "I don't think Burnham will dare to poke the hornet's nest of inheritance tax. But even that's just one of many issues we're facing. Farmers aren't making any money - I know a few who are running their businesses in an overdraft."
Mr Weston also highlighted rising fertiliser prices, which could reach £500 a tonne in the next growing season, up from £180 a tonne before the Russia-Ukraine war, and the constant undercutting by cheaper foreign imports. Even speculation that Mr Burnham could fire Ms Reeves, widely regarded as the architect of the Family Farm Tax, won't be enough to win back the votes of the agricultural sector, he said. "There are rumours that Ed Miliband could be the new Chancellor, which is very worrying," Mr Weston added. "He's a prime example of an MP who's extremely dangerous because of his very idealistic views of what we should be doing in terms of green policy. Whatever Labour say or do now, I don't think they're going to get that trust back from the rural community."
Countryside Alliance and NFU Weigh In
Mo Metcalf-Fisher, external affairs director for the Countryside Alliance, accused Sir Keir's government of "launching an astonishing attack on the countryside" with the Family Farm Tax. He criticised the outgoing leader for failing to carry out his promise of renewing the "bond of respect" between the countryside and politicians. A continued failure to do so will alienate the rural voters who gave the party "the benefit of the doubt" and made it politically relevant in the countryside for the first time in 14 years in 2024, he added.
Calling on a future government to "change course," he continued: "[Inheritance tax] has caused untold pain and anxiety for farmers. It was, plainly, bad politics. We've [also] seen taxes on rural businesses and toxic culture war policies including a ban on trail hunting and a clamp down on game shooting, all of which further harm an already fragile rural economy." He concluded: "Change does not start with a culture war on the countryside and a return to the mistakes of the past. We stand ready to work with the next government to achieve the very best for our countryside."
Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers' Union, similarly warned the next government to prioritise "building resilience in homegrown food production." He said: "In recent years, economic, geopolitical and climate challenges have exposed vulnerabilities in our food and farming sector. As this government has so often said, food security is a critical pillar of national security. What we want to see from future government is this sentiment underpinned by effective, progressive policymaking which backs British food and farming and recognises its strategic importance for 70 million consumers."
Government Response
A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said: "This government is putting our full weight behind farmers - giving them the funding, tools and opportunities they need to succeed and grow their businesses to feed the nation. We have put in place the first long-term vision for farming since the Second World War, backed by £11.8 billion of investment, to support a profitable and sustainable sector. We have protected our farmers in trade deals - opening up new markets for exports while maintaining our high standards - made supply chains fairer so farmers get a better return, and set the course for the next generation of farmers to feed the nation for decades to come."
The Express has contacted Andy Burnham for comment.
