Rachel Reeves can still repair the damage done to farming

The Chancellor of the Exchequer found time this week to edit her own page on the social media site LinkedIn. She had, it appeared, fallen into error by saying that she had worked as an economist for the Bank of Scotland. Her role had in fact been humbler.

No one should be criticised for seeking to correct a mistake. There is no fault in acknowledging that your claims to economic authority were exaggerated, and no shame in embracing humility. Which is why Rachel Reeves should apologise again – without further delay – to Britain’s farmers. For the grotesque, unjust and vindictive tax assault she has launched on the nation’s food producers.

The government, by removing the Agricultural Property Relief (APR) exemption from inheritance tax on farms worth in excess of £1 million, has acted in bad faith, succumbed to faulty reasoning and undermined the most important industry in the country.

Rachel Reeves seems determined not to back down, mistaking stubbornness for strength

Labour has justified other tax raises with sinuous, Jesuitical casuistry – arguing, for example, that its promise not to increase national insurance applied only to employees (working people) and not employers (presumably all idle rentiers in their mind). But when it comes to the promises made to farmers there is no such ambiguity to exploit. In opposition, Labour said that they had no plans to abolish APR. Their spokesman gave solemn assurances to successive farmers’ union conferences. As indeed did Sir Keir Starmer, who told the National Farmers’ Union in no uncertain terms: ‘Losing a farm is not like losing any other business. It can’t come back. That’s why the lack of urgency from the [Conservative]… government, the lack of attention to detail, the lack of long-term planning, it’s not on.’

The lack of attention to detail, indeed. The Treasury were so convinced of the rightness of their tax raid that they failed to consult the Environment Department on the measure, informing the Secretary of State only the night before that the promises he made in opposition were now so much bio-waste.