Thousands march on Westminster in fury over inheritance tax rise | Politics | News

Shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins has condemned the Government’s “economically illiterate” approach to tax.

She said “If any of us care about our countryside, if we want to see the picturesque views that we have – across my home county of Lincolnshire, but (also) across the country – if we care about the quality of our crops, if we care about animal welfare, then family farming in the United Kingdom is critical to achieving all of these aims.

“And this claim that Labour has come up with today to try and divert attention away from the march, that somehow this inheritance tax and this rise in national insurance is to pay for the NHS, is economically illiterate.

“Because, as we know, this is going to raise a fraction of what, in fact, we put into the NHS and are proud to do so.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Environment Secretary Steve Reed have said the reduction in inheritance tax relief offered to farmers would “ensure that wealthier estates and the most valuable farms pay their fair share to invest in our schools and health services”.