Suffolk farmer's dad 'feels he has to die' before new tax
"He now feels he's got to go before next April," Mr Abbott told BBC Radio 4's Farming Today programme."He just says he'd be better off if he wasn't here."I understand my father and I don't think he's in that state of mind. "I don't think he'll do anything silly not for one second, but I do understand what he is saying."I suppose in some ways what he said to me is, 'If I take my last breath before next April, I'll die happy'."That's awful to hear... I'd never wish that upon my father."I'm just so thankful for every day that I have had with my dad."
For the general population, inheritance tax is charged at 40% on the property, possessions and money of somebody who has died, above a £325,000 threshold.The tax has not applied to inherited agricultural assets, such as small family farms and farm buildings.But from April 2026, for the first time, a tax of 20% will be imposed on these assets worth more than £1m.The government says the changes will only affect the wealthiest 500 farms each year.However, the National Farmers Union and the Country Land and Business Association estimate that up to 70,000 farms could be affected overall.Many farmers have said they feel betrayed by the changes, with protests taking place.
Mr Miles's role is to support farmers through difficult times, offering them pastoral care.He says it is not the first time he has heard similar concerns from farmers."Unfortunately I'm getting this nearly every day of the week - farmers coming up to me and saying, 'Graham my family would be better off if I wasn't here'," he explained."The closer we get to next April the more I'm going to get of this."The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said three quarters of estates would continue to pay no inheritance tax at all.It pointed out that these inheritance payments could be spread over 10 years, interest-free.
Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
'It's not wrong to love my partner': UK's first-ever lesbian archbishop fires back after critics claimed her appointment will lead to church exodus
The UK's first-ever lesbian archbishop has hit back at critics who claimed her appointment will lead to a church exodus, saying it is 'not wrong' for her to love her partner. Cherry Vann, who is gay and living in a same-sex partnership, was named as the fifteenth Archbishop of Wales last month. However, her appointment sparked controversy among conservatives who said it goes against biblical teaching and will lead directly to people leaving the church. Susie Leafe, director of Anglican Futures, added that the move scuppers 'any chance of the Anglican Communion coming back together'. She explained that anyone who was 'seriously minded' about their faith, would now be 'considering their options'. Meanwhile, the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, which represents conservative views, said Ms Vann's appointment was 'another painful nail in the coffin of Anglican orthodoxy'. Responding to the criticism, the archbishop said she has never heard God say to her 'who you love is wrong' or that she is 'living in sin'. She added that the Bible is open to interpretation when it comes to social issues, such as same-sex relationships. Ms Vann told Premier Christian News: 'Christians hold different views on all manner of subjects, divorce, remarriage, abortion, assisted dying, to name but a few. 'I mean, we are not all of one mind on most things. And you know, the church changes its position. It learns a broader understanding of God's love.' 'I cannot see how loving somebody as I love my partner could be wrong,' she added. When asked about whether the Church of Wales will conduct same-sex marriages in churches, she said she thought it would happen 'in the not too distant future'. Prior to her appointment as the Archbishop of Wales, Ms Vann, who is originally from Leicester, served as the Bishop of Monmouth for five years. She replaced Andrew John, who retired last month after three-and-a-half years in the role. Mr John's departure followed a safeguarding review at Bangor Cathedral, which identified 'a culture in which sexual boundaries seemed blurred' and 'promiscuity was acceptable'. There has been no suggestion Mr John behaved inappropriately and he commissioned two reports into the cathedral in October last year. Speaking following her appointment, Ms Vann said: 'The first thing I shall need to do is to ensure the issues which have been raised in the last six months are properly addressed and work to bring healing and reconciliation, and build a really good level of trust across the Church and the communities the Church serves.' Ms Vann was ordained as a deacon in 1989 and was among the first women to be ordained as a priest in the Church of England in 1994. She then served as Archdeacon of Rochdale for 11 years.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
Labour's attempt to find successor to Diane Abbott ‘under way'
Moves to find a successor to Diane Abbott in the parliamentary seat she has represented since 1987 are under way, prompting concern that her fate has been decided before an investigation into her latest suspension has concluded. Figures on Labour's national executive committee (NEC) have spoken to potential contenders, teeing them up for a future contest in her constituency of Hackney North and Stoke Newington, and giving them informal advice on how to prepare, according to a party source. Abbott was suspended from the party in July for repeating that Jewish people do not experience racism in the same way as Black people, a statement that had earned her a previous suspension in April 2023. Labour said there would be no discussion of potential successor as an investigation was ongoing. The party said there had been no discussions about alternative candidates at any NEC meetings and no proposals put to NEC members about a selection process. Abbott said: 'It does seem to be rather pre-empting the results of the investigation.' One figure on the left of the party said talk of replacing Abbott risked inflaming tensions between the leadership and grassroots members. 'There's no appetite among members for a stitch-up, they would want this to be fair after everything that's happened,' they said. Abbott, who as the longest-serving female MP has the honorary title of mother of the house, lost the Labour whip in autumn 2023 after she wrote a letter to the Observer in which she argued that Jewish, Irish and Traveller people did not experience racism in the same way as Black people and likened their experience to that of people with red hair. Abbott said the letter published was a draft version, and that her comments had been taken out of context. She was readmitted to the party in time to retain her seat at the general election, but was suspended again last month after telling the BBC in an interview that she did not regret the remarks. The Guardian understands that potential successors to Abbott include those who were in the frame to replace before general election, among them the London assembly member Sem Moema and the Hackney councillor Mete Coban. Abbott's latest suspension caused unease among some party insiders, including NEC members, but they said her decision to repeat her original comments, despite previously apologising, made it harder for them to defend her. Labour sources have briefed that Abbott is unlikely to be readmitted to the parliamentary Labour party. It is thought that she plans to stand down at the next election, if not sooner. Sources close to the process said discussions about a potential successor are too important to be left to the last minute. Under party rules, a suspended MP is barred from standing as a candidate until their case is resolved. The NEC has the power to trigger a selection process if a sitting MP is not endorsed to stand again. The row over Abbott's future comes as Labour prepares for its autumn conference. The disciplinary process over Abbott's original Observer letter became one of the longest and most prominent internal rows of Keir Starmer's leadership. Allies accused party leaders of deliberately dragging their feet to prevent her re-selection, while Labour HQ insisted the investigation was handled according to the rules. The seat is regarded as ultra-safe for Labour, even although her majority last year was halved to 15,000 last year amid a challenge from the Greens.
South Wales Argus
3 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Archbishop Cherry is the right person for "just such a time as this"
Much has been made of Cherry's gender and sexuality. She is the first female archbishop chosen to lead one of the UK's Anglican churches, and she is openly gay. It is only after coming to live in Newport that she has felt able to be completely open about her sexuality. Newport is, of course, a city which has the pursuit of equality, justice, and dignity, written into her very DNA. In an interview with the Church Times – yes, we Anglicans do have are own trade paper – Archbishop Cherry insisted that "there is more to me than being a woman and a lesbian in a civil partnership" and surely, she is right. There is far more to Cherry than the headline facts. In the words of the prophet Esther Archbishop Cherry is the right person "for just such a time as this". And, of this I have no doubt whatsoever. She is the right person because beneath the facts of her life, are to be found her qualities: her commitment to truth and integrity, fairness and equity, transparency and trust. These are the qualities are much needed for "just such a time as this". There is an adage that we shouldn't "judge a book by its' cover". The facts of a person's life are of course important, and we should never diminish them, but we also need to ensure that we don't get so fixated by the facts that we fail to see the whole person. We also need to remember that humans are sentient beings and that's why how we speak of other people, and treat other people, is so important. We, all of us, have the power to either "tear down" or "build up" as the Book of Ecclesiastes puts it. Eleven years ago this week the actor and comedian Robin Williams took his own life. Williams was without doubt a genius, but he also suffered terribly with depression. Like many actors, many people, how he presented and how he felt were misaligned. Williams once said: "Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind, always." As we celebrate the election of Archbishop Cherry as the right person for "just such a time as this", let us also take inspiration from Robin William's legacy and commit to becoming the sort of people who build others up, through the exercise of everyday, ordinary, and potentially transformative acts kindness. Andrew Lightbown is Canon for Mission & Chaplain to the City at Newport Cathedral
