A heated argument broke out in Parliament as Conservative MP Victoria Atkins fiercely criticized the Labour Party over a proposed tax that she believes is putting extreme emotional pressure on farming families. She is calling for Steve Reed, the Labour Environment Secretary, to resign after learning that several more farmers have taken their own lives. According to her, these deaths are directly connected to the fear and stress caused by the so-called “family farm tax.”
Victoria Atkins stood up in the House of Commons and spoke passionately about the heartbreaking situation farmers are facing. She explained that many of the people growing the UK’s food today are descendants of farmers who helped feed the nation during World War II. These families have cared for their land for generations, but now they feel abandoned and under attack by what she described as Labour’s “tractor tax.” She said it’s unfair and harmful, especially to people living in rural areas who are already struggling.
She reminded Parliament that before Christmas, she had already warned Steve Reed that one farmer had taken their own life out of fear over the upcoming tax. Instead of listening, she said he got angry and even ended a support program—the Farming Resilience Fund—that was meant to help farmers with mental health challenges. Now, she says she’s been told of even more suicides linked to the same issue, and she’s heartbroken over it.
Ms. Atkins said this could be Steve Reed’s legacy—a policy that pushed people to such despair that they took their own lives. But she also said there’s still time to stop it, because the tax hasn’t yet become law. She pleaded with him to speak to the Prime Minister and try to stop the tax from going ahead. If he can’t convince them, she said, then he should step down from his job.
She even shared a powerful and emotional story from a farmer who once told her, “If there was a rope in the corner of this room, I would use it.” This shows just how serious and painful the situation has become for some farmers. Many of them fear that when the new inheritance tax rules take effect next April, their children won’t be able to afford the farm after they pass away. This fear is leading some to believe that ending their life now is the only way to protect their families from losing everything.
Gareth Wyn Jones, a respected farmer from North Wales whose family has farmed for over 300 years, also spoke about the pain in the farming community. He said he’s never seen things this bad before. Farmers are overwhelmed by endless rules, paperwork, taxes, and constant stress. He said many are feeling hopeless and don’t know where to turn for help.
In response, Steve Reed strongly rejected the idea that the tax is directly responsible for these tragedies. He said he was disappointed that Victoria Atkins used such a serious issue for political purposes. He told Parliament that none of them can ever really know what leads someone to take their own life, and that it’s not right to use personal pain as a weapon in a political fight.
Steve Reed also said that the government is taking mental health very seriously. He promised that mental health hubs would be set up in every community, so people—especially those in farming—can get the support they need before things get worse.
This debate has opened the public’s eyes to how deep the problems run in the farming world. These are not just policy discussions. They are real human stories involving people who are afraid, under pressure, and in some cases, feeling completely alone. Many people now believe that the government must act quickly and with compassion to protect the mental health and livelihoods of the country’s farmers before more lives are lost.
