Actually it was the Labour Government in early '51 that was in power (with an Nationalisation agenda) ,when Iran nationalised their own oil.
Grow hemp and potatoes, give up valuable farm lands to produce plastics when we can't feed ourselves is laughable. What about UKfood security. Approximately 40% to 46% of all food consumed in the UK is imported, with this figure rising to nearly 50% for fresh fruit and vegetables. While the UK produces around 60% of its total food needs, it relies heavily on imports for staples that cannot be grown domestically year-round or in sufficient quantity, such as fruit, vegetables, and certain meats. According to Labour's 2026 land-use strategy, approximately 500,000 acres (around 200,000 hectares) of English countryside are designated to be transformed into solar farms and wind turbine installations by 2050 to meet net-zero targets. Add in the rezoning of agricultural land for housing, the growing impact of inheritance taxes on farm estates Based on UK government data and industry analysis regarding the reforms to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget and subsequent 2025 updates, the following points address the potential impact on farmland, effective from 6 April 2026:
185–500 Farm Estates Affected Annually: The UK government projects that around 500 estates (including those with both agricultural and business relief) will pay more inheritance tax, with recent revised estimates suggesting around 185 estates claiming APR will be directly impacted.
4 in 10 Farms Considered Unsustainable: According to research among farmers, nearly 4 in 10 (41%) believe they will need to sell at least half of their farmland to cover the new inheritance tax liability.
SO we may well finish up with less and less land dedicated to farming or so reduced in size as not to be commercially sustainable or viable..............
Last edited by JohnHarris; 26/03/26 08:56 PM.
