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  "path": "/politics/farmers-high-court-challenge-labours-inheritance-tax-changes",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-12T13:48:47.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Keir Starmer hit by three back-to-back ministerial resignations as PM teeters on knife-edge",
    "Reform plots 'brutal' battle to stop Andy Burnham's march to No10 as PM's rival receives warning",
    "Keir Starmer leadership crisis sparks sudden drop in value of pound and borrowing costs surge",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nA High Court challenge brought by farmers against Labour's inheritance tax reforms has been dismissed by judges today.\n\nThomas Martin, along with his father George Martin and the campaign group Farmers and Businesses for Fair Tax Reliefs, pursued legal action against the Treasury and HMRC.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThey argued that ministers had unlawfully restricted the consultation process.\n\nThe claimants did not seek to overturn the tax changes themselves.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nLady Justice Whipple, delivering the written ruling alongside Mr Justice Fordham, concluded that the challenge had no substantive foundation.\n\nShe said: \"The claim lacks substantive merit because there never was any legitimate expectation to a consultation of the sort claimed by the claimants.\"\n\nThe judges determined that no clear or unambiguous commitment to a comprehensive consultation on the proposed reforms had ever been made.\n\nThe farmers' legal team, led by Aparna Nathan KC, argued at a March hearing that Government policy required formal written public consultations with affected taxpayers before implementing significant changes to tax regimes.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHowever, Mark Fell KC, representing the Treasury and HMRC, countered that this commitment was not absolute and applied only \"where possible\".\n\nThe claimants maintained that ministers had acted unfairly and violated principles of good administration by failing to apply their own consultation policy to these reforms.\n\nBeyond finding the case lacked merit, the judges identified further grounds for dismissal.\n\nThey ruled that the legal challenge had been filed too late to proceed.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Keir Starmer hit by three back-to-back ministerial resignations as PM teeters on knife-edge\n  * Reform plots 'brutal' battle to stop Andy Burnham's march to No10 as PM's rival receives warning\n  * Keir Starmer leadership crisis sparks sudden drop in value of pound and borrowing costs surge\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nAdditionally, the court determined that the matter could not properly be adjudicated due to parliamentary privilege, which protects certain governmental and legislative processes from judicial scrutiny.\n\nThe modifications to agricultural property relief and business property relief from inheritance tax were first unveiled during the autumn 2024 budget.\n\nThe changes took effect on April 6 this year.\n\nA consultation document was subsequently released by the Government on February 27 2025.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nAccording to Ms Nathan, this document addressed only a very narrow portion of the tax alterations.\n\nThe farmers' case centred on their contention that the Government had breached its own standards by failing to conduct thorough consultation before implementing such substantial reforms.\n\nThroughout the proceedings, Treasury and HMRC lawyers maintained that the claim was without foundation.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Farmers lose High Court challenge over Labour's inheritance tax changes"
}