After months of campaigning from farmers in Sussex Weald and across the UK, Nusrat Ghani, MP for Sussex Weald, has welcomed the Government’s decision to increase the tax threshold on farmland being inherited from £1m to £2.5m.
Sussex Weald is home to many exceptional family farms that play a key role in producing some of the best British products. Nusrat has been working closely with local farmers and NFU representatives since first becoming an MP in 2015, and holds regular meetings with the NFU and the local farming community.
In the summer of 2025 at her annual farming forum, which took place in Five Ashes, farmers Hartfield, Hellingly, Heathfield, Chiddingly, Wadhurst, Mayfield, Eridge, Crowborough and Waldron shared their frustrations with the Government’s plans as they previously stood.
Since the initial plans were brought forward, farmers from across the country, including Sussex Weald have made their voices heard during numerous protests.
It was therefore welcome news that just before Christmas, the Government announced some changes to the Family Farm and Family Business Tax, increasing the threshold from £1m to £2.5m. This means many family farms will either be exempt from the tax altogether or will have their bill substantially reduced.
Nusrat Ghani said: “Farmers are the lifeblood of our local economy, and I will always champion them and the fantastic work they do for our communities. We are incredibly lucky that Sussex Weald is home to many exceptional family farms that are keeping the nation fed, and it was made very clear to me during my annual farmers forum last summer, that the original proposals would cause damage to many farms across the constituency and the country. The changes announced before Christmas are welcome and are good news for our farming community in Sussex Weald, and I look forward to catching up with our farmers at the next forum this year. For so many, farming isn’t just a job, it is a way of life, one that has deep rooted history in the UK. Preserving it, and in turn our food security, is both vital for not only local communities to thrive, but for the UK as a whole. Together with our farmers, I will continue to campaign to ensure that the Government understands what our farming community in East Sussex needs.”
