The prime minister has said farming is 'top of the agenda' following comments by the Defra minister claiming farmers were 'not high up on the pecking order’.
Sir Keir Starmer was criticised at PMQs after farming minister Daniel Zeichner reportedly told farmers that they were 'not high up on the government's pecking order’.
The controversial comments came just one day after the latest major protest in Whitehall against Labour's controversial inheritance tax proposals, which come into effect in April 2026.
Mr Zeichner was speaking at the recent Norfolk Farming Conference when he was confronted over the chancellor's IHT hike on farmers.
At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday (12 February), Conservative MP Harriet Cross condemned his comments.
She said: "The farming minister told a conference of farmers that farming is 'not high in the pecking order for this government’.
"Given the heartless family farms tax, is his minister correct? Yes or no.”
The prime minister distanced himself from the comments, insisting that the farming industry was "top of the agenda as far as I'm concerned”.
Sir Keir continued: "That's why we've put £5 billion to support farmers in the budget, they failed to spend £300m on their watch on farming, and we've set out our roadmap which has been welcomed by the NFU as she very well knows.”
The Countryside Alliance said it welcomed the prime minister's comments as a 'somewhat welcome surprise'.
However, Mo Metcalf-Fisher, the group's director of external affairs said: "I’m not sure the chancellor has got the memo though, as she’s still refusing to engage with farmers over the disastrous family farm tax.
"Until that happens, it’s difficult to see how the government’s rural and farming agenda won’t be overshadowed by the fallout from the budget”.
The government plans to reform agricultural property relief (APR), meaning farms worth more than £1m will incur a 20% inheritance tax charge from April 2026.
Rural campaigners have argued that 75% of farm businesses could be impacted by the changes.
Other industry estimates suggest that 2,500 farmers a year will be hit by the overhaul, five times as many as official forecasts.
Last week, the entire UK food manufacturing industry joined forces to urge the government to rethink its changes.
A total of 57 businesses across the food supply chain, including all of the UK's major supermarkets and major food processors, voiced their concern in a new letter.
The NFU is also set to 'bring to life' the effect of the proposals with a display of agricultural machinery and toy tractors outside its conference in London later this month.
The union is asking for donations of 'pre-loved' farm toys and other agricultural memorabilia as part of its ongoing campaign to stop Labour's 'family farm tax'.
