A FURNESS mum and her daughter joined thousands of farmers who rallied in London to protest proposed changes to inheritance tax.
The chancellor’s budget included reforms to agricultural property relief (APR) to inheritance tax, which applies when farmers and landowners pass farmland to the next generation, and business property relief (BPR), which relates to business assets that are part of the estate.
Under the changes, the full 100% relief from inheritance tax will be restricted to the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business property relief, above which landowners will pay inheritance tax at 20%, compared with 40% on other estates.
The new tax, which come in from April 2026, can be paid in instalments over 10 years interest free, rather than immediately, the Government said
Sally Bowes, who helps manage Tarn Foot Farm in Leece, journeyed to the city with her daughter Julia to take part in an independently coordinated rally, which is aims to work alongside the NFU.
She left her job as a social worker three years ago to support her dad, George, who is now 71.
The small, family-run farm was bought by her grandad in the 1960s and now has around 90 beef cattle.
Sally has two children, who are both autistic, ten-year-old Glenn and Julia, age eight, who is non-verbal.
Sally and Julia took an early morning train to London where they met up with others who shared their cause.Sally said there was a ‘great atmosphere’ and lots of support as people on the train came up to wish them good luck.
Read more about why Sally and Julia decided to join the protest, here.
“My sister used to live in London, and I would visit her all the time, so I’m used to the city,” Sally said. “But it was a completely different London.”
They arrived to find the capital full of people in work boots, wellies and flat caps.
"It was like an invasion of farmers,” she said.
“There was a positive energy and a friendly atmosphere, it wasn’t like a normal rally. We couldn’t go anywhere without people offering to help, even an 80-something year old man with a walking stick.
“It’s about families. We were seeing three generations of farmers, grandsons who work alongside their dad and grandfather.”
Sally said the government’s insistence that 75 per cent of farmers will not be affected is ‘ludicrous’.She described the situation as ‘really worrying’ and hopes the government will re-evaluate their decision.
“They need to up the limit to three or four million pounds to cover small family farms.
“They need to look again, consider the impact for everyone in the country and come up with something more realistic.
“Scrap it and research it properly.”
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