Farmer feared to have taken own life in his barn after Labour budget
Published 2 November 2024
A farmer has tragically taken his own life after the Labour tax grab on inheritance, according to reports.
The father is said to have killed himself in a barn after his children were faced with a 20 per cent inheritance tax bill.
It came after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced on Wednesday in the autumn budget that she will revoke farmland's exemption from inheritance tax (IHT).
An anonymous post on the British Farming Forum said: 'This morning I found my dad in the barn having taken his own life.
'So afraid of the IHT implications on farms he took his own life rather than see the government take half the farm in IHT.
'As a family, we are devastated and in shock! This is the human cost of government policy or potential government policy.
'They claim to be for the working man, no man worked harder than dad. He increased the acreage from my grandad's day and was proud of what he achieved.'
The author also claimed they believed their father aimed to 'beat the budget by ending his life' and that it is what happens when 'you have built something your entire life and see it robbed from beneath your kids' feet'.
The writer of the post claimed to be publishing anonymously in order to protect their children.
However, the National Farmers Union (NFU) told The Sun it could not confirm whether the claims were true.
The autumn budget has infuriated farmers across the country with a planned protest set to take place next month.