Andy Burnham 'will betray farmers just like Keir Starmer did'
Andy Burnham 'will betray farmers just like Keir Starmer did - he'll say anything!'
EXCLUSIVE: Andy Burnham won't dare to challenge his party's neglect of rural England if he succeeds Keir Starmer, a struggling farmer tells the Express.
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Add us as preferred source Comments By Eleanor Burleigh 17:00, Sat, Jun 27, 2026 
Andy Burnham "won't dare poke the hornet's nest" of the Family Farm Tax despite his pledge to "revisit" the Government's attack on agriculture. The leadership hopeful has been billed as a fresh start for Labour, an outsider capable of resetting the party's relationship with voters.
But Philip Weston, 40, a farmer from Northamptonshire, believes his premiership would continue the precedent set by Sir Keir Starmer of neglecting rural England. Mr Burnham's promise to "look again" at Chancellor Rachel Reeves' inheritance tax reforms has failed to convince the 40-year-old, whose family has owned Hartwell Park Farm in Northamptonshire since 1840, that change is on the way.
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Ms Reeves introduced a 20% inheritance levy on qualifying agricultural assets above a threshold of £1million in her first Budget, later increased to £2.5million in a partial government climbdown. "Keir Starmer said: 'We'll take care of farmers' before he came to power," Mr Weston told the Express. "Why should we think it's any different this time around? [Burnham] is just trying to make a show of doing things differently, and to that end he'll say anything."
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Mr Weston said he spent thousands of pounds adjusting to Ms Reeves' inheritance tax rules, before realising it had all been "pointless" when the threshold was raised in December.
Although his farm is safe in the short term, he fears that rising land value and diversification costs could soon "push us and many others back into the danger zone".
"The whole system Labour has in place is very anti-countryside and pro their own ideals," he said. "They're clearly prioritising housebuilding and green energy over food production.
"I don't think Burnham will dare to poke the hornet's nest of inheritance tax. But even that's just one of many issues we're facing. Farmers aren't making any money - I know a few who are running their businesses in an overdraft.
"There are real fears about fertiliser prices, which could be £500 a tonne in the next growing season, up from £180 a tonne before the Russia-Ukraine war," Mr Weston continued. "And we're being constantly undercut by cheaper foreign imports."
Even speculation that Mr Burnham could fire Ms Reeves, widely regarded as the architect of the Family Farm Tax, among other controversial fiscal policies, won't be enough to win Labour back the votes of the agricultural sector, he said.
"There are rumours that Ed Miliband could be the new Chancellor, which is very worrying," Mr Weston added. "He's a prime example of an MP who's extremely dangerous because of his very idealistic views of what we should be doing in terms of green policy. Whatever Labour say or do now, I don't think they're going to get that trust back from the rural community."
Mo Metcalf-Fisher, external affairs director for the Countryside Alliance, also accused Sir Keir’s government of “launching an astonishing attack on the countryside” with the Family Farm Tax. He criticised the outgoing leader for failing to carry out his promise of renewing the “bond of respect” between the countryside and politicians.
A continued failure to do so will alienate the rural voters who gave the party “the benefit of the doubt” and made it politically relevant in the countryside for the first time in 14 years in 2024, he added. Calling on a future government to “change course”, he continued: “[Inheritance tax] has caused untold pain and anxiety for farmers. It was, plainly, bad politics.
“We’ve [also] seen taxes on rural businesses and toxic culture war policies including a ban on trail hunting and a clamp down on game shooting, all of which further harm an already fragile rural economy.”
“Change does not start with a culture war on the countryside and a return to the mistakes of the past,” Mr Metcalf-Fisher concluded. “We stand ready to work with the next government to achieve the very best for our countryside.”
Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers’ Union, similarly warned the next government to prioritise “building resilience in homegrown food production”.
"In recent years, economic, geopolitical and climate challenges have exposed vulnerabilities in our food and farming sector,” he said. “As this government has so often said, food security is a critical pillar of national security. What we want to see from future government is this sentiment underpinned by effective, progressive policymaking which backs British food and farming and recognises its strategic importance for 70 million consumers.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said: “This government is putting our full weight behind farmers - giving them the funding, tools and opportunities they need to succeed and grow their businesses to feed the nation.We have put in place the first long-term vision for farming since the Second World War, backed by £11.8 billion of investment, to support a profitable and sustainable sector.
“We have protected our farmers in trade deals - opening up new markets for exports while maintaining our high standards - made supply chains fairer so farmers get a better return, and set the course for the next generation of farmers to feed the nation for decades to come.”
The Express has contacted Andy Burnham for comment.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
