A motion to support Isle of Wight farmers in light of contentious government tax changes received enthusiastic endorsements at a major council meeting on Wednesday evening.
Three councillors spoke in favour of Councillor Claire Critchison’s proposal that council leader Phil Jordan calls for the Island’s two MPs to ‘advocate for a pause and further consultation on the changes’ and writes to the government to ask that the ‘effects of these various actions on the farming community’ are ‘considered as a whole’.
Majority vote
The Green Party councillor’s submission, which a majority of the chamber voted for, also instructs County Hall’s cabinet to meet with National Farmers Union representatives to ‘discuss how the council can support and work with local farmers and rural businesses’ and ‘consider all reasonable and practical measures to provide support to and work with the farming sector in the future’.
As part of the Autumn budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR), forms of inheritance tax relief for farmers and landowners.
From 6th April 2026, 100 per cent relief from inheritance tax will only apply to the first £1 million of total agricultural and business property.
Robertson: There’s always an opportunity for them to row back on it
Isle of Wight East Conservative MP, Joe Robertson, said,
“I support this very sensible motion. It’s entirely in line with what the Conservative opposition in Westminster have been campaigning on.
“The family farm tax is a disastrous mistake from the Labour government’s budget. I’m not optimistic, but there’s always an opportunity for them to row back on it, U-turn and make a different decision at the next fiscal event.”
Jarman: Family thrown into a real tizz by this
Councillor Chris Jarman, representative for Totland and Colwell, said,
“I’m supporting this very strongly indeed. Quite a large number of my family are in farming and they’re all thrown into a real tizz by this.
“It’s really nice to see all the sensible parties uniting against this – such an awful move.”
Churchman: I just can’t believe the stupidity of making farming even more difficult
Councillor Vanessa Churchman, who represents Haylands and Swanmore, said,
“I can’t believe that anybody would try to control farming. The one thing we have to do in the morning is get up and eat.
“We are an Island for goodness sake and it would be so easy to be blockaded by anybody or everybody.
“It’s far cheaper to grow our own food and think about how eco-unfriendly it is, having ships, planes, whatever, transporting food from the Americas, from Europe, into this country.
“I just can’t believe the stupidity of making farming even more difficult than it has been over the last 20 years.”
Not fair for small number to claim such a significant amount of relief
Whitehall has said it is ‘better targeting’ the inheritance tax reliefs ‘to make them fairer, protecting small family farms’.
In a paper published in November, the government said,
“The latest figures show that the top seven per cent (the largest 117 claims) account for 40 per cent of the total value of agricultural property relief.
“This costs the taxpayer £219 million. The top two per cent of claims (37 claims) account for 22 per cent of agricultural property relief, costing £119 million.
“It is not fair for a very small number of claimants each year to claim such a significant amount of relief, when this money could better be used to fund our public services.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
