Labour MP has whip suspended after rebelling on farming inheritance tax vote

Labour MP Markus Campbell-Savours has had the party whip suspended after rebelling against the Government in the Budget vote.

The Penrith and Solway MP rebelled and voted against the Government’s plans to impose inheritance tax on farmers on Tuesday night, telling the Commons he had to do all he could for his community.

He warned in the Commons the changes would leave many farmers “devastated at the impact on their family farms”.

Mr Campbell-Savours was informed he had had the whip removed by Chief Whip Jonathan Reynolds on Wednesday, according to a Labour source.

The backbencher was among a group of Labour MPs who on Tuesday night had pleaded with ministers to review their plans to impose inheritance tax on farmers for the first time.

Speaking in the Commons Budget debate, Mr Campbell-Savours said: “There remain deep concerns about the proposed changes to agricultural property relief (APR).

“Members across the House have made the case against these changes, changes which leave many, not least elderly farmers, yet to make arrangements to transfer assets, devastated at the impact on their family farms.

“Many farmers feared this was coming. Some transferred in advance.

“Others contacted Labour candidates who reassured them, based on public commitments from the then shadow secretary of state for Defra, that APR would not be touched.

“I was one of those Labour candidates, and it’s for that reason I’ll be voting against the Budget resolution enabling these changes.”

Mr Campbell-Savours said he wanted to be able to walk around his community “knowing I did all I could for them”, and could not do so if he broke his word.

In the Budget, the Chancellor announced that any of a £1 million APR and business property relief allowance that goes unused will be transferable between spouses and civil partners.

However, this has not stopped criticism from the farming community, which has fiercely opposed the changes since they were proposed in last year’s budget, with the introduction of a 20% rate on agricultural land and businesses worth more than £1 million.

Other who questioned the Government over its plans included Chris Hinchliff, the MP for North East Hertfordshire, who previously lost the whip after rebelling over the Government’s welfare cuts.

After Mr Campbell-Savours’ suspension, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch was quick to suggest the Government may backtrack on its inheritance tax plans.

The Tory leader wrote on social media: “Rattled Keir Starmer is suspending his MPs again. This time for standing up for farmers…says everything about his priorities.

“Last year he suspended 7 MPs for opposing the two-child benefit cap, and we all know how that ended.

“How long until a u-turn on the family farm tax?”