Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart MP is calling on the Chancellor to use the upcoming Spring Budget to right the wrongs of her previous actions.
In a letter addressed to the Rachel Reeves MP, the DUP’s Westminster Agriculture spokesperson, has urged the Treasury to reconsider its inheritance tax reforms, and deliver meaningful and practical support which will restore confidence in British farming.
Ms Lockhart said: “The Spring Budget statement is due on Tuesday, 3rd March. This is an opportune time for the Labour Government to redeem itself in the eyes of the farming community and the wider agri-food sector.
“Sir Keir Starmer’s Government promised to bring change to our country – they certainly have, but not in the way voters anticipated. Labour has abandoned its pledges and failed to deliver on its pre-election promises.
“Their claim to support working people is heavily disputed. Farmers are hard-working people, but they have been dealt blow after blow since Labour came to power.
Ms Lockhart said: “Farmers across the United Kingdom are operating under immense financial pressure and mental strain. Many are working on minuscule margins, facing spiralling costs and uncertainty that is actively discouraging long-term investment. Confidence in the sector is at, or very close to, historic lows – a situation that is hugely concerning.
“British farming supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and underpins an agri-food sector worth £153 billion to our national economy. If the government is serious about economic growth and food security, it must ensure farmers feel valued, and provide tangible support for primary producers in next week’s spring budget.”
Carla Lockhart MP added: “Maintaining the current reduced rates of fuel duty for red diesel is also critical. For machinery-intensive farm businesses, any increase would significantly raise operating costs at a time when margins are already under severe strain.”
In her letter, the MP also highlighted widespread concerns over planned changes to inheritance tax relief from April 2026, which many fear could undermine family farm succession planning and long-term viability.
She continued: “Family farms are the backbone of our rural communities. The uncertainty around inheritance tax relief risks destabilising generational businesses that have fed this nation for decades.
“The Chancellor must provide clarity and reassurance to protect the future of these farms. After months of campaigning, common sense has prevailed to a certain extent, but raising the threshold to £2.5m per person doesn’t go far enough. It’s a hard won concession, but fails to address the fundamental unfairness that remains embedded in the Finance Bill.
“Even with the threshold raised from £1m to £2.5m per person, more than 4,500 farms in Northern Ireland will still be impacted by the government’s ‘death tax’.
“Ultimately, I would like to see this policy scrapped in totality. There is a profound unfairness at the heart of this policy, which the Treasury has yet to explain or justify.”
ENDS
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