Government must listen and review damaging inheritance tax reforms

Carla Lockhart MP • February 12, 2026

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart is urging the government to listen to the electorate and reconsider its controversial approach to British farming.

Her comments come after farmers returned to Westminster on Wednesday, stepping up their campaign against the government’s pending and deeply damaging reforms to inheritance tax.


The MP said: “The arrival of a convoy of tractors outside the House of Commons was deliberately timed to coincide with Prime Minister’s Questions - a clear and visible message that those in power must pay attention.


“The farmers and protestors weren’t just fighting for their livelihoods, but for the voices of people across the United Kingdom to be heard. Placards reading “No British Farming, No Food” and “Reunite Britain: Our Farmers, Your Food, Everyone’s Future” made it abundantly clear that this is about far more than policy - it is about the future of national food security and the survival of rural communities.”


 “Farmers are angry and bewildered, and rightly so. We’ve witnessed exposure of a mind-blowing surge of scandals, missteps and hard truths deeply rooted within this government. Recent revelations have added to the growing sense that enough is enough. Voters feel ignored, farmers feel betrayed, and the country deserves better,” added the DUP’s Westminster Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs spokesperson.


“Serious questions remain at the heart of the Labour Government. How is it that two of the Prime Minister’s chief advisers have gone, yet he remains? They were his advisers, but he makes the decisions.


“President Harry Truman famously kept a sign on his desk reading, “The buck stops here.” The same principle should apply today. Either Keir Starmer is in control and must take responsibility, or whoever truly is in control should step forward. In either case, his judgement is no longer valued or trusted.”


The MP added: “The pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to resign continues to grow, not only because of the wider chaos surrounding his leadership, but because this government has fundamentally misjudged the strength of feeling around inheritance tax reforms and the impact they will have on British farming and national food security.



“It is evident that the electorate is determined to use its voice and that farmers are not going away. This government must urgently reconsider its approach to inheritance tax and review is anti-farming agenda.”

Share

By Carla Lockhart MP • November 10, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has said the independent review into the Fivemiletown cattle cull has exposed serious failings within DAERA, but warned that it falls well short of delivering the transparency and accountability demanded by farmers and the wider public.
By Carla Lockhart MP • November 8, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has urged farmers across Northern Ireland to make their voices heard as DAERA’s controversial carbon auditing proposals are set to come before the Stormont Assembly on Thursday.
By Carla Lockhart MP • November 6, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has criticised Treasury chief secretary Emma Reynolds for suggesting that employers are not working people, warning that her comments demonstrate a worrying lack of understanding of the pressures facing small businesses, family farms and self-employed people.
By Carla Lockhart MP • November 6, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart is urging the DAERA Minister to revise the rigid rules on the spreading of slurry in Northern Ireland, saying current policy should not come at the expense of common sense.
By Carla Lockhart MP • November 6, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has congratulated Ross Murray on his selection for the prestigious Oxford Farming Conference 2027 Inspire Programme. He is one of just two Northern Ireland industry representatives chosen for the initiative.
By Carla Lockhart MP • November 5, 2026
Upper Bann MP, Carla Lockhart, has criticised comments made by the Chief Constable at today’s Policing Board meeting regarding the continued existence of the IRA.
By Carla Lockhart MP • October 29, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has described the autumn Budget as a missed opportunity for the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to rectify the wrongs of their predecessors, warning that farming families have once again been let down by the Labour Government.
By Carla Lockhart MP • October 29, 2026
DUP Agriculture spokesperson Carla Lockhart MP has criticised the Chancellor’s Budget for failing to deliver meaningful support for British farmers, warning that token gestures will do little to ease the financial pressures facing farm businesses.
By Carla Lockhart MP • October 29, 2026
Today’s judgment is damming. It squarely recognises that the Portadown District has established their legal right, and this was thwarted by an unlawful mob.
By Carla Lockhart MP • October 27, 2026
DUP Agriculture spokesperson Carla Lockhart MP has expressed deep concern that draft carbon auditing legislation is progressing towards the Stormont Assembly chamber despite significant questions remaining unanswered.