Autumn Budget 2024

We know this is a deeply troubling time for our members and the wider rural community. The CLA has been leading the fight back, representing your views in the Treasury and Defra, in Westminster and in the national media.

Since the announcement, we have had more than 6,500 pieces of coverage in national, trade and regional media as well as extensive radio and television appearances, advocating for our members and explaining the real-term impacts these decisions will have on farmers in England and Wales.

Around 7,500 members joined our 'save rural family businesses' campaign to put their name to a letter for their local MP, calling on them to put pressure on the chancellor to reverse the inheritance tax reliefs decision.

We conducted comprehensive modelling to evidence how farms (we used a typical 350-acre arable farm) would have their annual profits wiped out paying tax bills.

The CLA quickly produced comprehensive guidance, advice, explainers and question and answers documents to help members understand the changes and their options. Visit our 'Succession planning & inheritance tax' hub for details, or see below for a list of these articles.

Other lobbying highlights include:
  • 18 February: In a joint venture with other industry leaders, the CLA meets with the Treasury to propose 'clawback' mechanism as an alternative to the government’s family farm tax.
  • 10 February: CLA Deputy President Gavin Lane speaks at Save British Farming rally as thousands of tractors shut down Westminster. The CLA's work and modelling is highlighted in a Parliamentary debate on reversing the proposed IHT changes.
  • 6 February: The CLA external affairs team meet with and brief MPs ahead of the petition debate on not changing inheritance tax relief for working farms.
  • 29 January: CLA policy experts answered questions at a parliamentary drop-in at Westminster to help MPs better understand and deliver growth for the countryside.
  • 9 January: The CLA questions Steve Reed at the Oxford Farming Conference about the impact of IHT changes, as he apologises for the first time for the impact this will have on farmers.
  • 8 January: Ahead of the Oxford Farming Conference, the CLA sends out a joint letter alongside other farming bodies to Environment Secretary Steve Reed asking for a consultation on the budget changes.
  • 16 December: A summit on business property relief is held at the London Palladium featuring a keynote speech by CLA President Victoria Vyvyan
  • 13 December: Alongside 31 other trade and membership organisations, including Family Business UK, the CLA signed a letter to the government warning of the severe and long-lasting impact of changes to BPR and APR.
  • 12 December: CLA modelling, briefings and case studies are highlighted in a House of Lords debate on the impact the budget will have on family farms and small businesses.
  • 11 December: A joint letter published, signed by the CLA and other organisations on behalf of the farming industry to the PM, urging the government to rethink its inheritance tax changes.
  • 11 December: CLA President Victoria Vyvyan gave evidence to the EFRA Committee, taking questions from MPs on APR and BPR and the impact the capping of these reliefs will have on farm profitability and the wider rural economy.
  • 5 December: CLA tax and political team meet with Pensions Minister Emma Reynolds to emphasise the impact the changes will have on rural communities.
  • 4 December: CLA polling, modelling and policy positions are brought up in the opposition day debate in the House of Commons. In two debates, the government commits to continue to engage with us around farming and inheritance tax.
  • 3 December: Survation polling of the 100 most rural English constituencies commissioned by the CLA polling is released. This shows the disquiet towards the government from rural voters, including how 61% of respondents feel the government is failing to "end the decline of the countryside".
  • 2 December: The CLA's work on the impact changes to IHT will have on food production is highlighted in a House of Lords debate on food security.
  • 27 November: We met with Labour backbench MPs to discuss the impact these changes would have on family farms and to brief them on our messages to take to the Chancellor.
  • 26 November: We wrote a letter to the Chancellor highlighting our members' frustration over the decisions regarding Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief and calling for a meeting to discuss the policies we have to develop and support the rural economy.
  • 21 November: The CLA's Rural Business Conference. Victoria Vyvyan and CLA members challenge Steve Reed on the impact of the Budget on rural businesses. The CLA's work is also highlighted during a House of Lords debate on farming families.
  • 20 November: Victoria Vyvyan and CLA Director of External Affairs Jonathan Roberts meet with Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins.
  • 19 November: Environment Secretary Steve Reed MP is challenged with CLA modelling at a session of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.
  • 14 November: CLA President Victoria Vyvyan and Director of Policy Judicaelle Hammond met Defra Secretary Steve Reed. The CLA's work is also highlighted during Defra oral questions in the House of Commons.
  • 12 November: We launched our impact modelling on a typical, 350-acre arable farm and hosted dedicated briefing sessions with the government, MPs and media.
  • 11 November: Letters are sent to rural MPs from the CLA's rural family businesses campaign. The CLA's arguments are highlighted during a general debate on rural affairs in the House of Commons.
  • 7 November: CLA President Victoria Vyvyan meets Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner and Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Murray.
  • 5 November: CLA Cymru Director Victoria Bond and Chair of Polisi Cymru Iain Hill-Trevor met with Secretary of State Wales Jo Stevens and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Dame Nia Griffiths to explain the major concerns members in Wales had and the consequences of the announcement.
  • 4 November: During a debate on the implication of the budget on rural communities, the CLA’s work is brought up several times as we continue to brief rural MPs.
  • 31 October: We launch our 'save rural family businesses' campaign. We brief MPs and the government on the impact the budget will have on rural communities.

Check your CLA local team news pages for updates on how our teams in England and Wales are raising the issue on your behalf.

For advice on where you can receive support for your mental health and wellbeing following recent announcements, please find out more here.

The latest in the Autumn Budget 2024 campaign