MP’s last-ditch plea to save family farms

By Laura Linham 1st Apr 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 1st Apr 2026

Sarah Dyke has launched an 11th-hour plea to protect family farms, warning Ministers they are running out of time to rethink inheritance tax changes due to take effect on Sunday, 6 April.

The Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton said the reforms to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief risk piling more pressure onto farming families already battling soaring costs and tight margins. The changes were first announced in last year's Budget and, despite later adjustments by the Government, are still set to begin this weekend.

Dyke said family farms are "at the heart of our rural communities" and warned the policy could damage food production, food security and the long-term future of farming across Somerset.

Farmers are already facing rising bills for fuel, fertiliser and feed, alongside wider uncertainty linked to global instability, she said. The Liberal Democrats argue the Government's concessions — including lifting the threshold for full relief and allowing transfers between spouses or civil partners — still do not go far enough to shield many family farms from new tax liabilities.

Dyke, who has previously spoken about being a farmer's daughter, said she had pushed Ministers to carry out a proper impact assessment and rethink the policy before it becomes law.

She said: "Family farms are at the heart of our rural communities here in Glastonbury and Somerton, and they are vital to our food security. At a time of global instability it's more crucial than ever we support farmers, whose work forms the backbone of our national security.

"Since this policy was first announced, I have fought hard to make the Government listen to reason. Farmers across Somerset have told me that they are worried sick about what these changes will mean for their livelihoods and their ability to pass on their farms to future generations. Make no mistake: we will lose family farms.

"The Government has already been forced to row back once, which shows they know this policy is flawed. But small adjustments are not enough when the stakes are this high. If Ministers push ahead regardless, they risk doing lasting damage to British farming, the rural economy and national security.

"There is still time for the Chancellor to think again. I urge the Government to scrap this tax and properly support the farmers who put food on our tables."

Under the updated rules, the 100 per cent rate of relief is due to be capped from 6 April 2026, with the Government having raised the threshold for agricultural and business property relief after pressure from the sector.