Inheritance tax poll: Labour is losing the countryside
5th December 2024
A new poll of England’s 100 most rural constituencies has shown that Labour is losing the countryside, with voters rejecting the party and turning to Reform over the Budget backlash.
A Survation poll, commissioned by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), shows that 58% of respondents oppose the inheritance tax hike, with less than a quarter being in support of the changes.
Even 44% of Labour voters in rural areas are against, with only 37% in favour of the changes to the inheritance tax reliefs.
The polling of more than 1,000 respondents also exposes the damage that the Autumn Budget has done to Labour in rural communities.
Twice as many voters (66%) say Labour doesn’t “understand or respect rural communities,” up from 33% before the election, and more than half of voters (57%) say they trust Labour less.
Nearly a quarter (23%) of Labour voters from July are “unhappy” with their vote. As a result, Labour drops into third place across England’s most rural constituencies, behind the Conservatives (34%) and Reform (21%).
The polling also shows deepening fears over Labour’s rural agenda, with 60% saying it has already broken its pledge to reverse countryside decline and 70% doubting its ability to boost the rural economy.
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‘Trust, once lost, is hard to win back’
Victoria Vyvyan, CLA president, said: “The Budget threatens business viability and the future of our rural communities. The government promised growth, and to be the ‘party of the countryside’, but you can’t tax your way to prosperity.
“Trust, once lost, is hard to win back. Can Labour regain it? Only with a sincere apology, real action, and a clear commitment to the rural economy. Anything less, and the damage could be irreversible.
“Rural communities aren’t here to be taxed and forgotten. We’re here to drive growth, to feed the nation, and to fuel the economy. All we want is a government that matches our ambition.”
It comes after CLA economic modelling revealed the devastating impact of inheritance tax on rural businesses.
A 200-acre farm could face a £370,000 bill, wiping out more than 100% of annual profits. Even couples aren’t spared, with a 350-acre farm facing a £475,000 hit, erasing 99% of profits over a decade.
Before the election, Labour made repeated assurances that it would not touch Agricultural Property Relief (ABR) and Business Property Relief (BPR). However, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a cap in her Autumn Budget, which is due to come into force in April 2026.
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