Farmer’s tragic death sparks inheritance tax outrage

The Labour government is facing growing outrage from farmers and opposition MPs after a coroner ruled that 78-year-old Yorkshire farmer Philip (John) Charlesworth took his own life because of fears over the party’s looming inheritance tax changes.

The Charlesworth family, who have farmed the land at Silkstone near Barnsley for generations, say the “vindictive” plan to impose inheritance tax (IHT) on family farms from April 2026 pushed their father over the edge.

In a harrowing inquest at Sheffield Coroner’s Court on 29 May, coroner Tanyka Rawden concluded that Mr Charlesworth’s suicide in October 2024 was directly linked to his fear that Labour’s IHT reforms would force the family to sell half their farm.

See also: Delay farm tax raid or risk rural ruin, MPs warn Labour

“He was worried about implications of new regulations around IHT that would see the family lose 50% of the farm, taking his life the day before the changes were due to be announced,” the coroner said.

Mrs Rawden concluded Mr Charlesworth took his own life, as reported by the BBC.

Philip’s son, Jonathan, 47, found his father dead in the barn on 29 October last year, the night before Rachel Reeves delivered her Autumn Budget.

Speaking to GB News after the inquest verdict, he said: “In the couple of months before it happened, the only thing he talked about was IHT.

“He wasn’t going to let the government beat him… If it hadn’t been for worries about IHT, he would still be here today.”

He urged the government to at the very least suspend implementation of the tax until a full impact assessment is carried out.

‘Caring man’

Philip Charlesworth wasn’t just a farmer. He was a husband caring for his dementia-stricken wife, a grandfather of six, and a respected community member who “always had time for people”, his daughter Verity said.

She described a man who loved the land, never left the farm for long, and wanted his ashes scattered across the fields he had spent a lifetime cultivating.

Verity’s final message to the government was simple: “Protect our farmers. Respect their contribution. Recognise their struggle.”

The inquest heard that Philip left behind instructions for how to protect the farm from a tax bill his family said could have exceeded £1m.

The changes – set to come into force in April 2026 – would subject farm assets above £1m to a 20% tax on death, even for family-run operations that pass the farm down to children.

Renewed calls for a pause

The NFU expressed sympathy with Mr Charlesworth’s family and renewed its call for the government to reconsider its IHT plans.

In a statement, the union said its “thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the family of Mr Charlesworth” and confirmed it had “repeatedly asked ministers to think again about the human impact of this policy”.

A spokesperson added: “Whatever our differences on the family farm tax policy, we have repeatedly said to the government that we don’t believe it intended this policy to have the invidious effect it has had on elderly farmers.

“Over the past ten months, both publicly and privately, we have repeatedly called for this government to think again about the human impact of this policy – and act.”

Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael, who chairs the cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee, called Mr Charlesworth’s death “heartbreaking” and reiterated his committee’s joint call for Labour to pause and rethink the tax changes.

Conservative MPs outraged

The response from opposition MPs and farming groups has also been swift and fierce.

“This is absolutely devastating news,” wrote Victoria Atkins, MP for Louth and Horncastle, on X.

“Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and Steve Reed must reflect on this decision and ensure no more families are put through this pain.”

Shadow farming minister Robbie Moore called the case “just horrific”, adding: “We have repeatedly called on this vindictive Labour government to listen. To stop. To reverse their reckless actions.”

He asked: “What more will it take for this Labour government to wake up and realise the catastrophic consequences their decisions are having?”

Farmers’ protest group Farmers To Action issued a scathing statement, saying: “Blood on their hands. A man is dead because of political pressure. A family lost their father. A community lost a man of the land. Shame on Labour.”

They drew comparisons with national outrage following the suicide of a schoolteacher after an Ofsted inspection, demanding the same level of accountability and reform.

Treasury response

A Treasury spokesperson said: “Our sympathies are with the loved ones of Mr Charlesworth and the farming community.

“The vast majority of estates claiming these reliefs will still pay no additional inheritance tax, and those that do will pay a reduced rate and be able to pay over 10 years interest-free.

“This is a fair and balanced approach to help fix the public services we all rely on.”