Clarkson’s Farm star “cheerful” Charlie Ireland has admitted his close friends who are farmers have already planned to leave the UK after Rachel Reeves’ tax raid.
His view on the damaging rises comes following vocal opposition from Clarkson’s Farm co-star Jeremy Clarkson.
The pair of farmers alongside Kaleb Cooper joined thousands in London on November 19 to protest the government’s plans after they were outlined in Reeves’ Budget
A second protest took part in London at the beginning of the month as farmer from across the country urged Sir Keir Starmer to reverse the decision.
Reeves’ announcement means that farmers with over £1million worth of assets face a 20 per cent inheritance tax hike from April 2025 after previously being exempt.
Whilst the Treasury has insisted that very few farms will be affected – with a figure as little as 500 being touted by the Government – the figure is widely disputed by prominent figures in the agricultural community.
The Clarkson’s Farm stars attended the London rally back in November
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Ireland has been openly vocal aboutthe government’s plans andclaimed that the tax raid poses the most “seismic” challenge farmers have faced in their lifetime.
Recalling one incident he’s witnessed himself, Ireland said a dairy farmer he knows is emigrating his entire family to New Zealand.
Writing for The Sunday Times, he explained: “At Ceres Rural, the farming consultancy I’m a partner in, we estimate that more than half of farms will be affected in some way by the government’s inheritance tax raid.
“All agricultural and business assets worth more than £1 million will face a 20 per cent levy, having been previously exempt — and a third of them could eventually go under.
Jeremy Clarkson has made his viewers clear on Rachel Reeves’ tax raid
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“It’s the most seismic thing to hit British farming in the quarter century I’ve been in business — potentially worse than the war in Ukraine or foot-and-mouth or avian flu or Covid.
“It’s not just landowners who will be hit. Every £1 spent by farmers is worth £7 to the rural economy because of the economic multiplier effect.
“So seed merchants, tractor mechanics, haulage companies, fertiliser suppliers — a whole raft of people — depend on small and medium-sized farms.
“I have a tenant farmer with 350 dairy cows who’s selling up. The whole family is emigrating to New Zealand. They’ve been making stilton for generations.
“The budget means they’d have to get rid of part of the herd to pay inheritance tax.”
Assessing how much the taxes will affect the country, he added: “It’s the most seismic thing to hit British farming in the quarter century I’ve been in business — potentially worse than the war in Ukraine or foot-and-mouth or avian flu or Covid.
Charlie Ireland is a close friend to Clarkson who often appears on the Amazon Prime series
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“It’s not just landowners who will be hit. Every £1 spent by farmers is worth £7 to the rural economy because of the economic multiplier effect.
“So, seed merchants, tractor mechanics, haulage companies, fertiliser suppliers — a whole raft of people — depend on small and medium-sized farms.”
