Farm inheritance tax: One voice speaks up amidst the Labour silence - Stuart Minting

The moot question of whether it’s appropriate for councils to become involved in national politics continues, but it’s heartening to see the concerns of sparse communities which often do not determine election results being taken up.

However, there’s been an almost deathly silence among the region’s Labour politicians over inheritance tax, including from some high-profile party figures who represent significant rural communities.

Despite being asked some have been decidely cagey.

As elected representatives it’s only right that they air their stance on key issues but, following requests for balance, the debate in Yorkshire has remained very one-sided.

So it was refreshing to hear the views of Labour’s candidate for the Hull and East Yorkshire mayoral election in May.

Margaret Pinder’s opinion that the speculative buying of farmland by the wealthy to avoid paying tax needs tackling certainly has merit.

Just as those opposing inheritance tax proposals say food security and the rural way of life is under threat, the buying of swathes of farmland purely to reduce taxation rather than produce food is doing exactly the same.

Ms Pinder adds the government, which has pledged not to increase income tax, National Insurance or VAT, and to keep the corporation tax rate at its current levels, needs to raise its revenue somehow.

However, opposition politicians have highlighted the “family farm tax” is only expected to raise around £115 million a year – less than 0.01 per cent of government spending and less than 0.3 per cent of all the tax rises.

While the controversy has centred around estimates provided by farmers’ groups, including that the new tax could "harm" up to 70,000 farms over time, some independent analysts have claimed the figure is likely to be somewhere closer to government’s estimate of about 500 estates per year.

Neverthless, however widespread the impact of the tax changes, it’s important to remember that it’s through farming, and having a sustainable agricultural industry, that much of the region’s economy is fuelled, communities held together and Yorkshire’s much-loved rural landscapes are maintained.