Countryside Alliance responds to the Autumn Budget 2025

Ahead of the Autumn Budget, which was delivered on Wednesday 26 November 2025, the Countryside Alliance twice wrote to make representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves.

With the Budget having now been delivered, the Countryside Alliance has summarised the key points from it below, and our full briefing document can be downloaded here.

• The Chancellor of the Exchequer has not reversed course on the Family Farm Tax, instead announcing that the £1 million allowance for the 100% APR and BPR relief rates will be transferable between spouses. The Countryside Alliance maintains its opposition and its calls for deeper reform to this fundamentally flawed policy.
• The Chancellor confirmed the plan for permanently lower business rates for the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) sector, announcing those rates as 5p below those paid by other sectors. The Countryside Alliance welcomes this change.
• Contrary to earlier speculation the Chancellor has elected not to introduce a single tax on remote betting and gaming. Instead, she announced an increase in duties on remote gambling, but remote bets on horseracing will not be affected.
• The Chancellor announced changes to energy levies that should save households £150 per year in energy costs. She has not, however, reduced VAT rates payable on heating oil for either domestic or business customers.
• The Chancellor announced a pay-per-mile duty on electric vehicles along the lines anticipated. This new Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) will involve drivers paying for their mileage on a per-mile basis alongside their existing Vehicle Excise Duty. The Countryside Alliance is concerned that the proposed model fails to take account of rural needs.
• The Red Book makes no mention of changes to the regime for red diesel, nor of any plans to introduce a vehicle purchase tax levied according to vehicle weight. The Countryside Alliance welcomes these omissions. 
  
  

Read the full Briefing Note

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