An exclusive analysis by GB News reveals the farms in England most exposed to Labour's planned inheritance tax changes.
It comes as hundreds of tractors descend on Whitehall in Central London for a third time to protest Labour's policy to introduce inheritance tax (IHT) on farmland worth over £1million.
Addressing the thousands of infuriated farmers that had gridlocked Parliament, Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage vowed to reverse Labour's inheritance tax if his party wins the next General Election.
Despite a petition calling to keep the current inheritance tax exemptions for working farms exceeding 100,00 signatures, Labour refuses to backdown, insisting that the inheritance tax on agricultural properties is needed to fund public services, including the NHS. She claims only the wealthiest landowners will be affected.
Many farmers vehemently disagree, arguing that they are asset-rich but cash-poor, meaning they hold valuable land but lack liquid assets to cover high inheritance taxes. The proposed tax would force them to sell their business.
To understand the impact of this policy on farmers up and down the country, GB News has crunched the data from property consultancy Strutt & Parker's farmland database.
The database records the sale of all farms, estates and blocks of publicly marketed land in England over 100 acres in size.
Using data from 2023 - the most recent year for which data is available - we calculated the average sale price of arable and pasture farmland in all six regions of England.
We then combined this with the average farm size in England, which is around 203 acres (82 hectares), to determine the total tax bill that will be slapped on farms across the country.
As our map above shows, there are wide regional disparities, but farmers in the West Midlands will be stung the hardest.
Arable farmers, who grow crops such as vegetables, fruit and cereal, could be hit with a £246,600 tax bill under the proposed plan. Pasture farmers who rear animals could face a tax bill of £145,100.
Farmers in the East of England will also be hard hit, with arable and pasture farmers facing a tax bill of £206,000 and £153,220, respectively.
This is followed closely by the North of England, with arable farmers facing a £206,00 tax bill and their pasture counterparts on the hook for £99,425
Here's the full breakdown:
South East arable land - total tax bill £197,880, pasture land £106,530
South West arable land - £196,865, pasture land £109,575
East Midlands arable land - £199,910, pasture land £122,770
West Midlands arable land - £246,600 pasture land £145,100
East of England arable land - £206,000, pasture land £153,220
North arable land - £206,000, pasture land £99,425
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There are wide regional disparities, but farmers in the West Midlands will be stung the hardest
GettyIt's feared that these planned tax hikes will jeopardise the future of British farming.
Speaking to GB News at the demonstration, one 16-year-old fears Labour's proposed inheritance tax changes could put young people off entering the farming industry.
Eve said: "I think that it is quite scary. It is putting people off wanting to go into farming. I think it is such a big thing because it is a big part of everyone's life.
"It is a lot on our shoulders, and not something that we want to be worried about. Lets get rid of this tax."
"I am here to stand up for what we deserve and what we know is right."
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