Bradshaw defends ‘stay in the room’ farm IHT tactic

NFU president Tom Bradshaw has delivered a robust defence of the union’s decision to “stay in the room” over farm inheritance tax, telling members that sustained lobbying secured vital concessions.

But despite this, the NFU leader stressed that the policy, which is set to be introduced from April 2026, remains “fundamentally flawed”.

Addressing the NFU conference at the Birmingham ICC on Tuesday 24 February, Mr Bradshaw reflected on 14 months of what he described as “professional campaigning and solid lobbying” after changes to farm inheritance tax (IHT) – dubbed by the union and others as the “family farm tax” – sparked farmer anger across the industry.

See also: Bradshaw defends end of NFU’s family farm tax campaign

“Not a single one of us wanted to spend 14 months of fighting with the government,” he said.

“There are some who wanted the NFU to walk away from the table conference. I make no apology for saying that while I am your president, the NFU will stay in the room.”

He said that approach – combined with grassroots pressure – had shifted the dial in Westminster.

MP meetings

NFU members hosted 239 on-farm meetings with MPs last year, contributing to what he described as his 568th MP meeting since the Autumn Budget.

“The sheer unfairness of this policy, coupled with our determination to stay in the room and your determination to keep up the fight, made sure that didn’t happen,” he said.

“Repeatedly, we were told that change wouldn’t happen, but the sustained pressure finally paid off.”

The key concession was “the increase in the tax threshold from £1m to £2.5m, alongside the spousal transfer secured at the Autumn Budget”, which he said “has come as a huge relief to so many.”

“I’ve had stoic farmers in tears,” he added.

However, Mr Bradshaw was clear the battle is not over.

“Just to be crystal clear, the prime minister, Treasury and secretary of state, no, we still believe the inheritance tax policy is fundamentally flawed,” he said.

“It does nothing to disincentivise outside wealth investing in land. It risks the opportunity of longer-term tenancies and jeopardises some of our more productive farming businesses, our lobbying and detailed policy work continues.”

Mr Bradshaw pledged that when political opportunities arise, the union will push again to scrap the policy, but insisted the lesson is clear.

“We proved that when we stay in the room, change can happen,” he said.

Direct action overlooked

While anger over the policy has spilled onto the streets in a series of nationwide tractor protests organised by grassroots farming groups, the NFU has steered clear of direct action, instead focusing its efforts on behind-the-scenes lobbying and political engagement in Westminster.

Following the Labour government’s concession on thresholds and spousal transfers on 23 December 2025, the NFU decided to formally wind down its high-profile “Stop the Family Farm Tax” campaign.

It argued that its lobbying had secured meaningful movement while allowing it to continue pressing for further change from inside the room.

Meanwhile, Prof Tim Lang, a prominent expert in food security, was blunt in his assessment, telling delegates: “The government got it badly wrong on IHT, we know that. It’s been good. They are wriggling.”