Farmers have become an increasingly important constituency for Reform UK. The party has strongly opposed the Labour government's inheritance tax changes on agricultural land, backed farmers' protests, and positioned itself as the party of rural Britain.
The Farm Tax Controversy
The trigger for widespread farmer disillusionment was the October 2024 Budget, which removed full agricultural property relief from farms worth over £1 million. Farmers argue this will force the sale of family farms that have been in families for generations to pay the tax bill.
Reform UK's Offer to Farmers
Beyond abolishing inheritance tax, Reform UK's agricultural policy includes scrapping solar farms on productive farmland, maintaining farm support payments, and ensuring trade deals include strong food standards provisions to prevent British farmers being undercut by cheap imports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reform UK wants to abolish inheritance tax (protecting family farms), scrap the agricultural property relief changes introduced in the 2024 Budget, maintain farm support payments, oppose solar farms on agricultural land, and ensure the UK's farming industry is not undercut by cheap food imports.
In the October 2024 Budget, Labour removed full agricultural property relief from farms valued over £1 million, meaning many family farms face significant inheritance tax bills when passed between generations. This has been strongly opposed by farming groups.
Reform UK would abolish inheritance tax entirely, which would protect family farms from the Labour government's changes and allow agricultural land to be passed between generations without a tax charge.
Reform UK supports maintaining payments to farmers that replaced EU Common Agricultural Policy subsidies after Brexit. They also want to ensure trade deals do not allow cheap imported food to undercut British farming standards.
Reform UK opposes large-scale solar farms on Grade 1 and Grade 2 agricultural land, arguing that food security should take priority over renewable energy targets. They want to halt planning approvals for new solar on farmland.
Other Reform UK Policy Areas
Find Your Local Branch
Get involved with Reform UK in rural and farming constituencies.