“This latest announcement comes alongside growing recognition in the House of Lords that the Chancellor’s proposed changes will place a ‘huge burden’ on family farm businesses,” she said.

Ms Lockhart added: “This is another breakthrough for farming families and local enterprises who have been battling for more than 14 months to protect their livelihoods, their land and generations of hard work from an unjust inheritance tax raid.

“The decision to fast-track this two-day court case underlines the seriousness of the concerns and the scale of the damage these proposals threaten to cause. The government’s partial pre-Christmas u-turn raises the threshold from £1m to £2.5m per person, but it doesn’t go far enough, especially as the figure isn’t index linked.”

In her 2024 Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced sweeping changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief, leaving family farms and businesses facing a 20 per cent inheritance tax charge on assets over £1 million from April 2026. The resulting backlash, which included multiple tractor protests on the streets of London, reflected the genuine fear and anger across the farming community.

The Upper Bann MP added: “While the government has increased the threshold to £2.5 million, or £5 million for married couples, this does not remove the fundamental problem. Many family farms and businesses remain exposed to crippling tax bills that could force the sale of land, stock or other assets simply to pay inheritance tax.

“The upcoming judicial review will allow claimants to argue that the government’s failure to properly consult on reforms of this magnitude was unlawful. The fact that a rolled-up hearing has been scheduled so quickly - an exceptionally rare step - speaks volumes about the importance of this case.”

“At the same time, the House of Lords Economic Affairs Finance Bill Sub-Committee has echoed long-standing concerns, warning that the proposed inheritance tax reforms will impose a huge administrative and financial burden on executors, create severe liquidity problems, and threaten the viability of family farms and businesses,” added the MP.

“Peers have highlighted the risk of forced asset sales and have called for safeguards, longer payment deadlines and proper consideration of how these changes would operate in practice.”

Ms Lockhart continued: “Policy of this scale should not be rushed through Parliament without meaningful consultation or a clear understanding of the real consequences. Family farms are not tax shelters, they are working businesses. Farmers are custodians of the countryside and the backbone of our rural communities.



“I will continue to stand with farmers and family businesses, not only in my Upper Bann constituency, but across Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, pressing the Labour Government to rethink these damaging reforms and ensure that inheritance tax policy supports, rather than destroys, those who work hard to feed the nation and pass their family legacy on to the next generation.”