Hay making: Burghart turned his attention to the farmer protests that gripped Westminster on Tuesday. Farmers are publicly protesting against plans to scrap inheritance tax exemptions for some farms worth more than £1 million. Burghart met “weeping old people and children worried about their parents” and warned that rural life “will soon be destroyed.”
Plowing: Raynor insisted the government was “fully committed” to British farmers and was including cash in the budget to help rural livelihoods. Burghart said the government’s indifference to the whole row meant the farmers must have thought they had come to Westminster “to thank” them. He emphasized specific points to the Deputy Prime Minister. Will there be further increases to inheritance tax, agricultural property relief and business property relief in this Parliament?
Farming: Rayner did not rule out the possibility of an adjustment, only repeating Treasury figures that most farms would not be affected by the current scheme, couples could pass on £3 million tax-free and those above the threshold could pay it out over 10 years. .
Watch your wallet: The shadow Northern Ireland Secretary hit back, saying Labor was “back for more” and had shown they could not be trusted. “The truth is this is a punishment for people who do not vote Labor,” he argued. And it touched on other budget challenges, including small business owners, pensioners and children attending private schools. Sometimes his voice was so loud that the microphone creaked.
Read the room: Burghart seemed oblivious to the election and Rayner applauded, pointing to New Labor MPs in rural areas previously held by the Tories. Of course, many of those lawmakers hold minority seats. So could there be the next tax-focused Tory comeback?
Useful backbench interventions of the week: Plymouth Moor View Labor MP Fred Thomas asked about the Government’s £22.6 billion investment in the NHS and how it will be spread across the country. Rayner brought up the plan and argued that it was more generous than the previous administration’s plan. It’s fun!
Completely unscientific score for the statement: Raynor 6/10 … berghardt 7/10. The Deputy Prime Minister got off to a strong start, playing the Liz Truss card. But this is an attack that becomes less effective the longer Labor is in power. She had more trouble when pressed about specifics on the farm, and Burghart successfully put her on the spot about whether there would be any further changes in the future.
