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Burnham eyes family farm tax U-turn as 'cheap' Budget win with rural voters, insiders reveal

From the Newshound archive · first published 20 September 2026.

Burnham eyes family farm tax U-turn as 'cheap' Budget win with rural voters, insiders reveal

Andy Burnham is set to scrap the despised inheritance tax on family farms ahead of the October 28 Budget, with axing the levy reportedly costing a relatively modest £300million. Ditching the tax would reportedly let Burnham "scrape the barnacles off the Starmer boat" and shore up support among 135 rural Labour MPs sitting on wafer-thin majorities. Shadow Farming Secretary Victoria Atkins condemned the original levy as "vindictive," while raising the threshold to £5million is also being considered as an alternative. The move comes as Burnham's economic adviser Jim O'Neill publicly urges the Chancellor to rule out further tax rises entirely.

The farm tax, announced in Rachel Reeves's inaugural Budget, imposed a 20 per cent levy on inherited agricultural assets above £1million, sparking mass protests in Whitehall.

MoreThe TimesReeves saw the EU as the answer. Is Andy Burnham still interested?The ScotsmanWhy Andy Burnham's desire to be more than 'first among equals' could be his biggest blunderGB NewsLabour ‘to U-turn on family farm tax’ as Andy Burnham eyes ‘cheap’ winGB NewsAndy Burnham told he's ‘missed his chance’ to call early General Election as tax hike fears set inGB NewsAndy Burnham's economic guru instructs Labour to rule out tax rises at Budget and scrap triple-lockGB NewsAndy Burnham must offer Britain more than Starmerism with better PR, writes Paul EmberyDaily Mail NewsAndy Burnham is 'plotting an early election' in desperate bid to get mandate for income tax hike
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