The Labour Party has suspended one of its own MPs after he broke ranks to vote against the government's controversial changes to inheritance tax rules for farmers. Markus Campbell-Savours, who represents the rural constituency of Penrith and Solway in Cumbria, was the only Labour MP to side with the Conservatives in opposing the measure during a Commons vote.
A Lone Voice for Rural Communities
Markus Campbell-Savours justified his rebellion by stating he had a duty to his predominantly rural community. Speaking in the Commons during the Budget debate, he highlighted the profound anxiety the proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) have caused among farmers in his constituency and beyond.
He argued that many farmers, particularly the elderly who had not yet arranged asset transfers, were devastated by the potential impact on their family farms. The MP revealed that during the election campaign, he and other Labour candidates had reassured farmers based on public commitments from the party's then-shadow Defra secretary that APR would remain untouched.
"I was one of those Labour candidates, and it's for that reason I'll be voting against the Budget resolution enabling these changes," Mr Campbell-Savours declared, adding that he needed to be able to walk around his community "knowing I did all I could for them."
The Vote and Immediate Fallout
Despite the rebellion, the highly contentious policy was passed by a significant majority of 327 votes to 182. However, the level of dissent within Labour was notable, with more than 80 of the party's MPs abstaining from the vote.
Labour sources swiftly confirmed that Mr Campbell-Savours had the whip removed, making him the latest rebel to be ostracised by Sir Keir Starmer's party for failing to toe the line. This disciplinary action effectively suspends him from the parliamentary Labour Party.
Backbenchers opposing the change contended that most farmers are "not wealthy land barons" and that the measure failed to adequately tackle the perceived abuse of the system by celebrities and billionaires who purchase farmland primarily for tax avoidance purposes.
What the Budget Changes Mean for Farmers
In the Budget, the Chancellor announced an adjustment to the inheritance tax relief system for agricultural and business property. The change allows any unused portion of a £1 million allowance for Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief to be transferable between spouses and civil partners.
Nevertheless, this concession has done little to quell the fierce opposition from the farming community. The core of their concern stems from the introduction, proposed in last year's budget, of a 20% tax rate on agricultural land and businesses valued at more than £1 million.
The rebellion and subsequent suspension underscore the ongoing tension within the Labour Party between maintaining strict parliamentary discipline and allowing MPs to represent the specific, often acute, concerns of their local constituencies, particularly in rural areas where such tax changes hit hardest.
