First Minister of Scotland John Swinney during First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood, Edinburgh, January 30, 2025
SNP First Minister John Swinney has been accused of “lining up with the Tories in defence of an ugly inequality” after he voiced his opposition to inheritance tax changes.
Changes due to take effect in April after last October’s UK Budget mean that 100 per cent inheritance tax relief for farms will merely apply to the first £1m of assets, with a 20 per cent duty now payable on assets over that value — still half the standard rate.
The move sparked fury amongst farmers, a point not missed by Mr Swinney as he addressed the National Farmers’ Union Scotland AGM today.
It’s hard to understand how minor divisions can come to dominate the process of building a challenge to the rule of the rich when the desperate need for a vehicle to fight poverty and despair is so abundantly clear, writes MATT KERR
