The son of a farmer who took his own life the day before the October 2024 budget in anticipation of inheritance tax changes called the U-turn on the hated policy ‘a well fought-for victory for our precious countryside and the custodians of it’.
But Jonathan Charlesworth said he believes his father John would not have taken his own life had the measure not been proposed in the first place.
Mr Charlesworth said: ‘If it hadn’t been for the poorly researched IHT raid on farms (announced) in the October 2024 budget along with the leaks beforehand suggesting such a measure was being introduced without any clarity on what to expect, my dad would still be with us today.
‘It was an ill-researched, hastily announced measure, without industry consultation – poor planning and implementation by a disastrous government, that could have been handled in a much better way, sparing my father and others from taking drastic measures to protect family farms in this country.’
Mr Charlesworth, who looks after the family’s small cattle and sheep farm near Silkstone, South Yorkshire, called the u-turn on scrapping IHT agricultural land relief for farms worth over £1m ‘a step in the right direction’.
The policy, due to be introduced in April, will now only apply to larger farms worth over £2.5m.
He went on: ‘Pressure from the industry has paid off this will be the best Christmas present for a lot of farmers.
‘The flip side is, (the policy) should have been researched and put out to review before any announcement was made.
Jonathan Charlesworth, pictured feeding cattle at his farm, accused the government of a ‘complete lack of understanding towards farming and the countryside in general’.
John Charlesworth, who took his own life on October 29 last year, the day before budget
‘This government shows a complete lack of understanding and compassion towards farming and the countryside in general.
‘A government should stand up for the minorities in the country and not persecute them. But today, we can celebrate a well fought-for victory for our precious countryside and the custodians of it.’
Mr Charlesworth added: ‘More farming families will sleep better this Christmas without the threat of IHT looming over them, there will however be plenty of larger family farms that will have to plan for potential IHT costs and a further window for them to do this would be beneficial.
‘It’s a welcome U turn that won’t bring back the lives lost over the last year or so due to to the anxiety caused, but will hopefully prevent a flood of suicides running up to the commencement (of tax changes) in April.’
Mr Charlesworth’s father John Charlesworth, known as Philip, 78, was found hanged in a barn by his son, the day before Rachel Reeves’ Budget last October.
He had been struggling to care for his wife, Carolyn, 74, who had severe dementia and cancer.
An inquest held in Sheffield in April heard that before the budget, he grew ‘more and more anxious about inheritance tax and the implications for the farm’.
His son revealed his father spent his final hours writing down his thoughts on how to protect the future of his business from the government’s inheritance tax raid before taking his own life.
Mr Charlesworth jr found a handwritten note where his father had jotted down his ideas for how best to leave the farm to his children.
The musings, left on a clipboard immediately beneath a suicide note, included questions for the family’s solicitor covering costs, capital gains tax, protected agricultural exemptions and what gifted assets could be sheltered from inheritance tax under the seven-year rule.
The inquest heard he ‘wasn’t going to let the government beat him’ and wanted to pass on the farm ‘on his terms’.’
Recording a conclusion of suicide, Coroner Tanyka Rawden said: ‘(Mr Charlesworth) had caring responsibilities and was worried about the implementation of the new form of inheritance tax which could see the family lose 50 per cent of their farm, ultimately causing him to take his life the day before the changes were due to be announced.’
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