Witham MP Priti Patel has visited Blackwells Farm Shop to meet with Howard Blackwell to discuss the impact of Labour’s planned changes to agricultural property relief. These changes threaten the viability of long-standing family-run farms like Howards, as well as rural businesses across Witham, Essex and the wider country.
Blackwells Farm Shop, a family-run business that has operated for over 30 years, has built a strong reputation for supplying high-quality, locally produced meat and produce. The farm’s commitment to sustainable farming and local food supply chains has made it a cornerstone of the rural economy. However, the changes introduced in Labour’s Budget will place immense financial pressure on businesses like Blackwells, threatening their future.
Labour’s planned overhaul of the Agricultural Property Relief (APR) scheme will cut the existing 100% inheritance tax relief to just 50% after the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business assets. This will disproportionately impact small, family-run farms that rely on these reliefs to pass their businesses down through generations. Many farmers now face the grim reality of having to sell off land, livestock, or even close their businesses entirely to cover the tax burden.
Family-run businesses like Blackwells have already had to navigate rising costs, supply chain disruptions, and the long-term economic impacts of avian influenza outbreaks. Labour’s additional tax burden only adds to the pressure, placing local food production and rural employment at risk. Independent analysis suggests that up to 100,000 family farms across England could be affected, a stark contrast to the Treasury’s claim that fewer than 500 farms would be impacted.
Following her visit, Priti Patel said:
“Keir Starmer promised to support farmers, yet Labour is now hitting family-run farms and rural businesses with this destructive tax. Their planned inheritance tax changes will devastate businesses like Blackwells, forcing many to sell off their land just to pay the bill.
Labour’s Family Farm Tax is a direct attack on the backbone of our rural economy. It will drive up food prices, weaken domestic food security, and push generations of farming families out of business. This is a clear political choice from Labour, and the consequences will be felt across Witham and the UK.”
Howard Blackwell stated:
“We enjoyed having Priti Patel and her team come and visit us, where we could show what we do in the farm shop, out on the fields, and within the wider community.
We are 5th generation farmers, so we know first-hand the importance of supporting farmers and our agricultural sector. Shopping at small farm shops like ours is one of the most impactful ways to support our local communities. Unlike large supermarkets, businesses like us work directly with local farmers and producers, ensuring that every product is fresh, ethically sourced, and of the highest quality. Nothing is mass-produced, our farmers care for the welfare of our animals, your family would be getting the very best for the table.
We support British farmers, ensuring fair prices and sustainable practices. Our meats are from animals within just a few miles, they haven’t travelled hundreds or thousands of miles like common practice in supermarkets.
It’s not just more sustainable food you’re getting, but our customers also help sustain the art of butchery. Butchery is a dying trade, yet it remains an essential skill that has served communities for generations. A career in butchery offers lifelong expertise and butchers will therefore always be in demand, and that’s why we aspire to train up young people in butchery. By supporting farm shops like us with in-house butchers, we help keep this craft alive and inspire a new generation to learn a trade that is both rewarding and vital.
British agriculture and farming are the backbone of our nation’s food supply. Without them, we would lose not only our self-sufficiency but also the quality and safety of the food we consume. Every purchase from a local farm shop is a vote of confidence in British farmers, ensuring they can continue to provide for us now and in the future.
Choosing to shop at Blackwells you are committing to sustainability, tradition, and community.”
