Baroness Mallalieu's countryside warning to Keir Starmer

Baroness Ann Mallalieu, a Labour Peer and President of the Countryside Alliance has warned Keir Starmer he risks “turning the countryside into a no-go zone again” for the party with its attack on farmers.

The warning comes in the wake of ongoing mass protests by farmers against the hated inheritance tax hike on family farms. Coupled with the Government suggesting that they might place further restrictions on shotgun licensing and potentially prevent license holders from keeping guns in their own homes, it has led some to brand the Government's policies as a "war on the countryside". 

Analysis by the Countryside Alliance has revealed that Sir Keir Starmer is putting at least 190 of his MPs at risk with his attack on the countryside. Nearly 200 of his MPs are in areas with at least part of it being rural.

Baroness Ann Mallalieu, a Labour Peer, has warned Keir Starmer he risks “turning the countryside into a no-go zone” for the party with its attack on farmers.

Several Labour MPs have urged the Government to pause its inheritance tax raid on farmers in recent weeks.

Some of Sir Keir’s furious MPs in rural seats formed the Labour Rural Growth Group just before Christmas, apparently because individual MPs, especially newer ones, were worried of approaching the Chancellor alone.

Tonia Antoniazzi, Labour MP for Gower, said publicly last week she supported he National Farmers Union's call for a pause on the government's proposed changes to inheritance tax.

She added: “We need time to gather information to determine the full impact the changes will have to family farms in Wales.”

Speaking during a Westminster Hall debate, David Smith MP asked whether “the relief element of the policy could be recalibrated”.

While Julia Buckley MP (Shrewsbury) asked for “a temporary transitional extension to the taper” so that older farmers could pass assets to the next generation.

Commenting on the situation, a Government spokeswoman said: “Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast.

“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.”

However, Baroness Ann Mallalieu, president of the Countryside Alliance, suggested Rachel Reeves’ Budget risks “alienating Labour in the countryside”.

In a statement issued last week, Baroness Mallalieu said:

“It would be foolish to underestimate the overwhelming public support for our farmers, they are part of the national fabric.

"The recent Budget and the subsequent fall out since then- which has only worsened- risks alienating Labour in the countryside and undoing a huge amount of good work in the years building up to the General Election by Keir Starmer and others. We have been here before as a party and we now risk turning the countryside into a no-go zone for Labour again.

“This would be a disaster and action must be taken to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. Focus must be on mending the relationship between the Government and farmers and for Whitehall to be seen as doing things for the countryside, rather than just to it.

“Farmers are not going to give up and a long, bitter battle between them and the Government is an incredibly bad look for our party which may once again haunt us for a generation.”

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