So, I've just spent a bit of time looking into the debate on IHT and farming. I... got a shock. First, a note: I have a friend who runs a family farm. In his view, the whole thing is a something and nothing. 🧵
"Inheritance tax relief" introduced in 1984 turned "owning agricultural land into having a licence to avoid inheritance tax," Professor Paul Cheshire tells #PoliticsLive
It led to a "four-fold increase in the price of agricultural land", he adds
https://t.co/CkUBNhKXdI
Please spare a thought for James Dyson, the Brexit-voting billionaire who bought up 33,000 acres of farmland to avoid tax. Without people like him, farmland would be more affordable for actual farmers.
Jeremy Clarkson, James Dyson, the Earl of Derby – they’re up in arms about paying tax on the vast areas of land they own.
Small farmers are worried that changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) will affect them. But who are the big landowners complaining the loudest?... 1/
And we've been here before. The old capital transfer tax (predecessor to IHT) had no agricultural exemption at all. In 1975 a 30% relief was introduced. The complete exemption we have now was only created in 1992.
The sky did not fall in.
We really need to stop making it so hard for NHS staff to go to work
A huge number of NHS workers have to cope with inadequate public transport, insufficient and unsafe parking for cars and bikes, and exorbitant costs
Something needs to be done urgently - please RT if you agree
🚨 Hugh Grant’s discusses the human cost of press abuse are a powerful reminder of why the Leveson Inquiry is needed to hold those responsible to account. Speaking about the victims, he names Abigail Witchalls, who was left a quadriplegic after a brutal stabbing. Her medical records were stolen and splashed across tabloids, compounding her family’s pain. Read more in the Byline Times article below: https://t.co/TOAKdpqE03
Grant highlights the Watson family, who lost their daughter in a playground murder, only for the press to cruelly suggest she deserved it. Their son, unable to cope, later took his own life. These are real families destroyed not just by tragedy but by callous, unrestrained press invasions.
As public trust in UK media crumbles, there’s renewed pressure on Keir Starmer to resurrect Leveson. Even the mother of Caroline Flack is urging him to “find the courage” to act. Exclusive polling shows people overwhelmingly want media reform. Starmer must listen. The time for accountability is long overdue. #Leveson2 #PressReform
🚨NEW: Melania Trump has rejected First Lady Jill Biden’s invitation for an official White House meeting. This is a decades-long tradition that was broken in 2020 by Melania refusing to meet with Dr. Biden.
RETWEET if you are proud to call Dr. Biden our First Lady!
30 years ago this month, I gave a speech warning of a two-tiered society composed of a few winners and a larger group of Americans left behind, whose anger and whose disillusionment could be easily manipulated.
We're seeing the ramifications of this yet again.
I am pleased to see that the PM went to France today.
U.K.-French Defence co-operation has never been more needed. We are facing the greatest threat to European peace since the 1930's. We now need to see this Entente used to ensure that Russia cannot and does not win in Ukraine.
We at Hacked Off are calling for Leveson Part Two. 📷 Over a decade ago, lies turned into a tangled web of corruption: 'one rogue reporter' became an entire industry crisis, implicating newspapers, police, and even politicians. The Leveson Inquiry was split, and Part One exposed a culture of hacking, bribery, and data theft. But Part Two — the investigation into who orchestrated, ignored, and enabled this — was never completed. It’s time to uncover the full truth. Join us in demanding accountability. #Leveson2 #HackedOff #HughGrant #PressAccountability"
Donald Trump and his transition team are already breaking the law.
I would know because I wrote the law.
Incoming presidents are required to prevent conflicts of interest and sign an ethics agreement.
This is what illegal corruption looks like. https://t.co/JJjJ59DgB5
A French military choir singing God Save the King today at France’s Remembrance Day. Thank God in turn we have a Prime Minister who does not regard France as an enemy - and prompts such a response from a natural ally with so many shared interests. We rebuild Europe step by step.