‘Stop the tax!’ Worried boy, 5, pleads with Reeves to save his farming future
Thousands of farmers descended on Westminster on Monday to protest against Rachel Reeves's inheritance tax raid.
A five-year-old boy has spoken up for the nation's farmers and urged Rachel Reeves to “stop the tax” so he can join the profession like his parents.
Little Bert Church protested with his fourth-generation farmer mother Hazel and father Tom, both 44, in London on Monday, alongside thousands of others demonstrating against the Chancellor’s Budget changes.
The youngster, who told the Express he wanted to be a pig and chicken farmer when he is older, described feeling “sad” by Ms Reeves’s inheritance tax raid.
He repeatedly declared “stop the tax” while standing beside hundreds of placard-clad tractors parked outside Downing Street.
Bert, from Bedford, said: “We don’t want the family farm tax because then we’re raising money and we’ve got less. I won't be able to be a farmer like my mummy and daddy.”
Tom, Hazel and her father own the 200 acre farm in a partnership which could see them paying a tax bill of hundreds of thousands of pounds because of Ms Reeves’s October Budget.
Hazel said: “The family farm tax is a real worry. We’re a small family farm, only 200 acres, but we know the inheritance tax and the relief will affect us. Our bill could be about £400,000 which is a lot of money to have to borrow.”
Little Bert Church, five, who wants to be a chicken and pig farmer when he is older (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)Join us on WhatsAppOur community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
The pair told how they would have to sell two fields to afford the bill, slashing the size of their farm to 120 acres.
Their land, with 300 ewes and 100 suckler herds, would “not be viable” if it were smaller.
Hazel, whose family moved to the farm in 1945, added: “You need your acreage to be able to run your business.”
But now it is that business that is threatened by Labour’s plans to change agricultural and business property relief.
The Chancellor imposed a 20% inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1million – or £3million in some circumstances.
These changes are set to come into force in April 2026, with an exemption that meant no inheritance tax was paid to pass down family farms now scrapped.
Hazel, who has tried to contact Ms Reeves via email and social media, added: “I’d love to meet her. I’d love to have a sit-down chat with her to talk about how this would impact us as a family farming business. She comes from Leeds. She’s an urban MP.
“She doesn’t understand farming. I respect her for not understanding farming. Why would you understand farming? I’d be keen to bring her to our farm, show her what we do and talk about how we try to make this profitable, which is really difficult and going to become even more difficult.”
Tom, who works for the National Farmers' Union (NFU), told how his initial response to the Budget was “really, really annoyed and frustrated because it was a lie”.
Referring to the Environment Secretary and junior minister, he said: “I’ve met Steve Reed on a farm in Bedfordshire, and Daniel Zeichner through my NFU roles pre-election.
“They all said they weren’t going to do it and they did. Whether it was their choice or not is a different matter. I’m just a bit dismayed with the whole political system if I’m honest.
“Farms are worth a lot of money but that money is only there if you sell them. Their profitability is minimal. If we destroy our farming ability and our industry to create good quality food, then we’re at grave risk of going hungry."
The Daily Express’s Save Britain’s Family Farms crusade has demanded the Government U-turn.
The Countryside Alliance’s Mo Metcalf-Fisher, who praised this paper’s campaigning while addressing the rally, said: “I hope Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer listen because they’re not. They don’t want to know. All we’re asking for is for them to get around the table and find a way forward, we’re not asking for a U-turn.
“The problem they’ve got is that every conversation they want to have about the countryside is going to stall because people aren’t listening. These farmers here don’t want to listen until the elephant in the room has been addressed. The longer they delay, the longer there’s going to be a logjam in the countryside and that’s not healthy or good for anyone.
“The problem for Labour MPs is that the longer these demonstrations go on, the more sophisticated and organised farmers are becoming.
"A lot of these are happening in rural areas and constituencies with Labour MPs sitting on quite thin parliamentary majorities. If I was a Labour MP in one of those seats, I’m not sure I'd want a dozen to 20 tractors and farmers turning up to canvass in my constituency.
"These are the questions that Labour MPs are going to have to ask themselves. Do they want this to carry on? Do they want this to be a long-running battle and almost an election campaign? Because that’s what it’s tuning into.”
Reform UK’s Nigel Farage insisted “persistent and peaceful” campaigning by farmers on new inheritance tax rules could “get change”.
Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
He predicted that Labour MPs in rural seats would be “getting scared”, and would put pressure on Number 10 if they see “local communities getting behind these families” who have been impacted by the changes.
Mr Farage said: “I’m pleased to see the campaign is ramping up. It’s growing right across the country.
“The message I’ve been putting to them, I think they’re listening too, which is 100 Labour MPs now represent rural seats – if they see local communities getting behind these families, they’re going to start getting scared, and they’re going to start putting pressure on No 10, and let’s face it, they’re in pretty big trouble already.
“So I think if this campaign is persistent and peaceful, they can get change.”
Mr Farage, who was joined at the event by professional boxer Derek Chisora, said the protesters had been “behaving impeccably” and should continue to be “voluble, but peaceful within the law”.
The Clacton MP also advocated “just getting rid of inheritance tax as a whole”.
The latest Westminster tractor rally, organised by Save British Farming, coincided with MPs debating an online petition with more than 148,000 signatures calling to keep the current inheritance tax exemptions for working farms.
A government spokeswoman said: “Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast.
“This Government will invest £5billion into farming over the next two years, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history. We are going further with reforms to boost profits for farmers by backing British produce and reforming planning rules on farms to support food production.
“Our reform to Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs will mean farmers will pay a reduced inheritance tax rate of 20%, rather than the standard 40% for other businesses, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free. This is a fair and balanced approach, which fixes the public services we all rely on, affecting around 500 estates a year.”
Seth Rogen explained why he is 'very worried' that real Hollywood executives will recognize themselves in series 'The Studio.'
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
â??Itâ??s sort of like an almost overly charged male rite of passage when you go hunting for your first time,” the “Call Me By Your Name” actor explained.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x249:751x251)/tyra-banks-swim-suit-021025-c7332ab9a9cf49d88cf0db40f3dff959.jpg)
In February 2007, Tyra Banks took body shamers to task after tabloids slammed her for exaggerated weight gain.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x249:751x251)/tyra-banks-swim-suit-021025-c7332ab9a9cf49d88cf0db40f3dff959.jpg&description=Tyra Banks Clapped Back at Body Shamers in an Unforgettable Moment, 18 Years Ago: 'Kiss My Fat Ass' In February 2007, Tyra Banks took body shamers to task after tabloids slammed her for exaggerated weight gain. %23tyrabanks) |
|
|
As the Best Picture race heats up, the competition for Best Actor is going off the rails.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
On Tuesday ,Rauw Alejandro released the cinematic and trippy video for "Ni Me Conozco," in which the singer resolves some inner feelings.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
'Street Fighter' actor Peter Navy Tuiasosopo has died. He was 61. His son, Manoah, announced his death in a tribute on Facebook, and revealed to TMZ that his father died from heart complications in Phoenix. The veteran star of TV and movies was well known for his role in the video game adaptation of the cult classic, plus, dozens of guest spots on shows like 'NCIS,' 'New Girl' and 'Mayans M.C.'
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Will Smith suffered a Matrix mishap as he gave fans a sneak peek at the filming of his new music video. The 56-year-old shared behind-the-scenes footage of his new single “Beautiful Scars,” where he can be seen channeling Keanu Reeves’ Matrix character. The film, which depicts a dystopian future in which humanity is trapped inside a simulated reality, became famous across the globe following its release in 1999. Smith captioned his video: “Matrix is a young man’s game hahaha. Mad respect to Keanu. Beautiful Scars BTS is out!!”
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Beatles founder Paul McCartney has announced details of a last-minute concert at the Bowery Ballroom in New York tonight (February 11th, 2025).
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
. %23boweryballroom) |
|
|
Universal’s 'Dog Man' barked its way to the top of the U.K. and Ireland box office, debuting with a commanding $4 million.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Willie Nelson made it big a little later in life, but the outlaw country icon also wrote a few gorgeous and underrated songs in his 20s.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.