NEW: Tuesday News Agents Do the farmers have a point? Or is this a case of some very wealthy people, trying to stay very wealthy? And how could the politics play out for Starmer and Reeves? Your daily dose of no spin news, no false balance, just the facts. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... - ThreadSky

lewisgoodall.com • 100 days ago

NEW: Tuesday News Agents

Do the farmers have a point? Or is this a case of some very wealthy people, trying to stay very wealthy? And how could the politics play out for Starmer and Reeves?

Your daily dose of no spin news, no false balance, just the facts.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-news-agents/id1640878689?i=1000677502655

Comments

peterohagan.bsky.social•100 days ago

Are they ‘storming’ or simply protesting peacefully? Inflammatory language not helpful.

piplong.bsky.social•100 days ago

A tractor drove through a barricade and was pushing a police officer back, not terribly peaceful.

hairyfarmer.bsky.social•100 days ago

I saw that take place. It was two daft individuals among many thousands. They were jeered by my part of the crowd. And it all took place in slow-motion a comfortable distance behind the stage area. Pretty much a non-event.

piplong.bsky.social•100 days ago

Well of course it was in slow motion, it was a tractor. I don't think the police would describe it as a non-event.

hairyfarmer.bsky.social•100 days ago

Context: the Met thanked and praised the organisers in the wrap up call, wishing that farmers could organise all the protests they police.

piplong.bsky.social•99 days ago

Wow, the met police sided with the Tories and the right wing press. Have any news outlets picked up on this shocking revelation.

menopaws.bsky.social•100 days ago

The latter. It’s quite astonishing how the farming community are falling for this again (see Brexit). They are being directly hurt by land values being artificially inflated due to tax attractiveness. They’re campaigning to allow themselves to be shafted by the wealthy.

acerdissectum.bsky.social•100 days ago

Not sure about that but it is a sharp contrast to the response to the huge levels of poverty and deprivation experienced today and the lack of protest about that.

noeljackson.bsky.social•100 days ago

It's the wealthy and greedy trying to protect their wealth and greed... Environmen and climate change protesters get called "eco cranks" then arrested for blocking the streets, greedy farmers looking to aboid tax get called "freedom fighters" and get a police escort. How's that...

labourian.bsky.social•100 days ago

Why not interview non-farming people who live in the countryside and ask them whether they want a functioning NHS and education sector or do they support farmers? The answers could be illuminating.

grahunt.bsky.social•100 days ago

It’s a case of wealthy people using their minions in the media to run stories about how hard done to they are. Storm in a teacup

o-loughl.in•100 days ago

There are a huge number of issues for farmers currently, I don't think this was the right one to focus on.

bad-faerie.bsky.social•100 days ago

Given that wealthy farmers don't vote for labour governments, it seems a win win to go after their inheritance tax loophole to fund public services. It seems remarkably unfair that a home owner in London will pay inheritance tax but someone living in a rural area has a loophole because they own land

xisacesspit.bsky.social•100 days ago

The second option, greedy tossers.

elaine5.bsky.social•100 days ago

Do the stats, very few farmers will be impacted by this legislation.

mg-5imon.bsky.social•100 days ago

Closing a tax loophole! Well done Labour!!

thecumbrian.bsky.social•100 days ago

An interesting analysis on BBC Verify, which suggests very few farms will be affected many of them are owned by investment funds, not by farming families the rate is half that levied other types of asset, and those who are subject to the tax get 10 years to pay.

always27units.bsky.social•100 days ago

It’s a case of wealthy people not wanting to pay. I have a small business. I get no relief on the 1st million that I leave and then I don’t get 50% relief after that. These are not the generally the farmers that suffer that is the tenants that rent off them.

howardbryant.bsky.social•100 days ago

Lewis - people are talking past each other. I’m in favour of IHT (my kids less so..). But on this matter ? Problem is Govt mixing business and personal. A biz should be able to swap CEO without a tax chg. IHT on farms should be rolled over pending 3rd party disposal, cessation or excessive leackage

ladyeuropean.bsky.social•100 days ago

immunopolitics.bsky.social•100 days ago

I think it'd be good to explore the role conspiracism plays into this, as i find rural, especially farming, communities really vulnerable to conspiracies and online radicalisation. Whether it's the isolation or poor mental health of farmers, they tend to be quite pilled to the gills

immunopolitics.bsky.social•100 days ago

You see it across Europe, where farmers equate measures to control pollution with "great reset"/"new world order" stuff. I think it's easy for them to feel under attack from the government and the communities they form online on FB groups, Telegram etc. just feed fuel onto the fire.

evilbrasil.bsky.social•100 days ago

It’s the second one.

prea88.bsky.social•100 days ago

I can’t see how they have a point. The majority voted for brexit and now complaining. Why should they be exempt from paying a tax that everyone else has to if they’re fortunate enough to have the wealth!

prea88.bsky.social•100 days ago

Their main spoke person literally bragged that it was a tax dodge. And let’s not even get started on Dyson!! But they’re friends in the sun and the like will say that type of protest is fine but not peace for Palestinian children!

shburnham.bsky.social•100 days ago

I know a farmer who went to this today. He has 3 kids in private school…

nikisc.bsky.social•100 days ago

Ouch! Triple whammy 🤣

crson.bsky.social•100 days ago

No wonder he's ticked off 😂

andrewcporter.bsky.social•100 days ago

Surely there must be a way for the Government to structure the inheritance tax rules to stop super-wealthy commercial land owners using agriculture as a tax haven but at the same time ensuring that actual farmers who wouldn’t have the means to pay it are not put out of business? 🤷

michaela5.bsky.social•100 days ago

I'm guessing they got it about right, judging by who has been protesting

pjdenyer.bsky.social•100 days ago

Did you mention that it wasn't just tractors, they had a muck spreader too.

bust3d00.bsky.social•100 days ago

And a gigantic floater

kopiteshaun.bsky.social•100 days ago

That just won't flush away.

pjdenyer.bsky.social•100 days ago

Option 3 (not exclusive with option 2) is the effect and those who will pay being misrepresented as another attempt to damage the recently elected Labour government.

droopydrew.bsky.social•100 days ago

The latter, wealthy trying to stay wealthy. Victoria Derbyshire interview with Clarkson nails it. He had no answer.

rbmdm.bsky.social•100 days ago

Has there been any genuine suggestions as to what can be done to stop the loop-hole exploiters who also drive up the price of farms for those who actually intend to farm?

The protests seem to exist of people calling for either government to resign or remove the policy. but still leaves the issue.

rbmdm.bsky.social•100 days ago

I appreciate nuance is difficult with protest.

ofsymbols.bsky.social•100 days ago

Do you not think that pitching it as “no false balance, no spin, just facts” is disingenuous, or do you really earnestly believe that’s what you three do?

ofsymbols.bsky.social•100 days ago

I mean this sincerely, I mean, we both, we all, know that the idea of reporting of objective facts is nearly impossible, even selection of which stories to cover is a hugely bias process.

andyshepherd27.bsky.social•100 days ago

The former

lindamarric.bsky.social•100 days ago

No they don’t have a point. They need to pay the same taxes as the rest of the country and just stop bloody moaning.

voodoobluesman.bsky.social•100 days ago

Maybe the NFU could come up with a decent life cover policy which would then pay the tax.

alwaysredhottuna.bsky.social•99 days ago

Of course they have a point but then doesn’t absolutely everyone and why does my point trump yours/his/hers/theirs?

rickybee.bsky.social•100 days ago

I think we all know the answer. The disappointing thing is how many decent people are prepared to do battle armed only with disinformation from those falsely claiming to have all farmers' interests at heart. Could get nasty.

philipjf.bsky.social•100 days ago

Why is Farmland so expensive?

heuerheritage.bsky.social•100 days ago

My early morning gym listen - never miss.

michaela5.bsky.social•100 days ago

Early morning dog walk for me

barrysw19.bsky.social•100 days ago

I think it's like the ULEZ thing again - it's a lot of people who won't be affected getting very upset because a small number of elites are lying to them.

janecartlidge.bsky.social•100 days ago

tvr3093.bsky.social•100 days ago

If only 500 farms will be affected, then the tax take will be relatively low.
Is that worth the risk of swathes of the British countryside falling into the hands of large corporations & the environmental impact that may bring?

exmoorrererrrr.bsky.social•100 days ago

No, they don’t. 👍

myowndrum1.bsky.social•100 days ago

Wonder how many armchair commentators have farming and countryside experience. Stop being so polarised. Yez you have what we call fat farmers monopolising multiple farms often buying another one to escape capital gains taxes mainly south east, but you also have a lot of small family run ones!

jimmybogart.bsky.social•100 days ago

I have no sympathy for farmers on this issue but why is the r/wing media treating them with far more grace than firefighters/Drs/nurses who provide something way more useful to society given you can import food but not health? Simple fix tho, tax exempt while used as proper farm, taxed if/when sold

mcftw.bsky.social•100 days ago

there will be losers on the margins...like all policy

but its the right policy at the right time

alanlxx.bsky.social•100 days ago

Think Clarkson has shown on this tv how hard it can be to make a profit with farming, but at the same time the land is an asset and it and all it's other assets should be liable to tax like anything else.

lemmingofthebda.bsky.social•100 days ago

It's an entertainment show and a good one. Very little relevance to actual farming

counterintuitive80.bsky.social•100 days ago

How many of them actually votes for Labour anyway? I say a minute percentage for the naturally Tory and Reform voters. So quite frankly sod them. They have to suck this up and take it.

davidjclayton.bsky.social•100 days ago

No they don’t but they sure know how to get journalists jumping.

zepxp.bsky.social•100 days ago

It's almost as though they had a good thing going and fucked it up. Hmmm...

And still, their inheritance tax is less than the average Joe.

briantoshcarver.bsky.social•100 days ago

Storming Westminster? Sloppy journalism I think. Remind me when a million people turned up in London to protest against Brexit and hardly got mentioned. Strange what well paid journalists think is important.

neil-in-norfolk.bsky.social•100 days ago

No they don't Lewis. Agricultural land has become financialised because of 1980s inheritance tax exemptions which meant that City investors piled into buying huge tracts of our farming land to avoid inheritance tax. Farmers need to protest against supermarket cartels which make farming unprofitable.

neil-in-norfolk.bsky.social•100 days ago

lordwessenden123.bsky.social•100 days ago

It’s a case of some wealthy over privileged people trying to stay that way. All this they are custodians of the countryside is total rubbish. They’re doing it for everyone else - don’t make me laugh. They are not a special case and should not be treated as such. Pay your taxes like everyone else.

gloshbeach.bsky.social•100 days ago

The only word that comes to mind, seeing proper farmers who will have no liability to inheritance tax being whipped into supporting the Clarkson tax dodge hobby farmers to avoid tax, is sad, sad that they're following the Fishers to destruction.

stevecrowther.bsky.social•100 days ago

Does Jeremy Clarkson count as a farmer? Well he had a point, until @vicderbyshire.bsky.social turned it into manure.

stumpgrinder.bsky.social•100 days ago

It's nothing more than a (sheep) dog whistle being blown by the 0.23% that it could impact.

spampasty.bsky.social•99 days ago

Reminder… not all farmers own land …

eddieburfi.bsky.social•100 days ago

Talking of very wealthy people trying to stay very wealthy. 👀 #farmersprotest

https://bsky.app/profile/eddieburfi.bsky.social/post/3lbcypzjjec2a

patsyredrose.bsky.social•100 days ago

If larger farms aren't showing a profit it's because they have very good tax advice already. Let's hope the new tax advice is to sell so the land values naturally fall and small farmers are protected.

colintalbot.bsky.social•100 days ago

Saying that farmers are “storming” Westminster isn’t true. Sensationalist exaggeration.

bust3d00.bsky.social•100 days ago

Saying they'll have to pay inheritance tax is also not true

jeffcarnage.bsky.social•100 days ago

Tbh, I don’t think having a man who bought a farm to exploit a loophole is a particularly good spokesperson for the farmers.

gunweary.bsky.social•100 days ago

And how Victoria Derbyshire skewered the publicity seeking opportunist Clarkson

renewablesnow.bsky.social•100 days ago

The Clarkson and Farage Venn diagram meet

me3101.bsky.social•100 days ago

Oh please provide a link. I'd like to see that. Does it involve actual skewers? 😁

gunweary.bsky.social•100 days ago

Follow me and its on my page, Marcus

halfbikehalfman.bsky.social•100 days ago

No. If labour are upsetting the farmers, Clarkson & Farage they’re doing something right. Perhaps the farmers shouldn’t have voted for Brexit.

haziereal.bsky.social•100 days ago

Option B

bresh67.bsky.social•100 days ago

What did farmers do before IHT was scrapped in 1992? Oh yes they paid it just like everyone else and still managed to run profitable farms. It’s all crap made up by millionaires to hoard their money.

rupigerard.bsky.social•100 days ago

Thought the podcast was a balanced, nuanced debate today- thank you. The random women talking about pedophiles being on the streets while people were being locked up for tweets was a bit 🥴

oldplodder.bsky.social•100 days ago

Do the farmers have a point? No, they don't.
There's other ways the IHT could have been levied, but this is tax evasion for the wealthy, not agriculture.

hassinator.bsky.social•100 days ago

I think the people who voted for Brexit should be paying for it.

rafalrzepka.bsky.social•100 days ago

As with Brexit, they’ve got duped by the wealthy parasites into self harm.

mikeyh71.bsky.social•100 days ago

Farmers have every right to be very unhappy. Brexit, rubbish trade deals, poor payment from those they supply (supermarkets and food manufacturers), etc. They're now being played by those who really benefit from tax avoidance and high land prices.

https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/11/19/why-inheritance-tax-charges-are-really-good-for-real-farmers-but-not-for-financial-whizz-kids/#comment-area

laudy71.bsky.social•100 days ago

Virtually every single one of them voted for Brexit. You reap what you sow.

vanessabubble.bsky.social•100 days ago

Thousands on the streets protesting about our water and nothing in the news. Minority of wealthy landowners complaining about inheritance tax and the press lose their minds.

faisal1956.bsky.social•46 days ago

Lewis, just listened to your interview with Suela Braverman, you have to get this kind of person to answer your questions!!!
What a load of nonsense she speaks, you did put her comments straight after she was off air instead of when she was on air.

greggooner.bsky.social•100 days ago

No sign of the Tory press and tame journos being that bothered about the Dr, nurse, bin and rail strikes during the Conservative Government...almost as if they know they need the rural vote back come the next election.

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