Adam Hart
Guest Reporter
Rural voters are abandoning Labour for Reform after backlash from Chancellor Reeves’ budget, new polling has shown.
A Survation poll of over 1,000 people in England’s 100 most rural seats, commissioned by the Country Land and Business Association, found two thirds of voters (66 per cent) say Labour “doesn’t understand or respect rural communities,” up from 33 per cent before the election.
The landmark research also showed Reform had drawn level with Labour in the countryside as support for Starmer crashed.
Keir Starmer’s party polled 21 per cent across England’s most rural constituencies, 13 percentage points behind the Conservatives (34 per cent) and equal with Reform (21 per cent) who were up five percentage points.
The poll also found more than half of voters (57 per cent) say they now trust Labour less, while nearly a quarter of Labour voters in July are “unhappy” with their vote.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the research also found the countryside to be backing farmers.
Opposition to the inheritance tax hike stands at 58 per cent, with less than a quarter in support. Even among Labour voters in rural areas, 44 per cent are against, while 37 per cent are in favour.
Victoria Vyvyan, president of the Country Land and Business Association who commissioned the poll, said: “The Budget threatens business viability and the future of our rural communities.
“The government promised growth, and to be the ‘party of the countryside’, but you can’t tax your way to prosperity.
“Trust, once lost, is hard to win back. Can Labour regain it? Only with a sincere apology, real action, and a clear commitment to the rural economy. Anything less, and the damage could be irreversible.
“Rural communities aren’t here to be taxed and forgotten. We’re here to drive growth, to feed the nation, and to fuel the economy. All we want is a government that matches our ambition.”
LATEST FROM MEMBERSHIP:
This polling comes ahead of two important events. Firstly, Opposition Day in the House of Commons tomorrow where the Tories are expected to force a vote on the family farm tax.
This will force Labour MPs in rural constituencies to either publicly support the measure and enrage constituents or defy the government and risk having the Labour whip withdrawn, something Starmer has shown he is not afraid to do.
The second major event is another protest scheduled for December 11 in central London, when furious farmers plan to ‘ramp up the pressure’ on Keir Starmer with another larger and more chaotic protest, warning ‘nothing is off limits.’
The CLA, who represent over 20,000 farmers, has been leading the campaign against changes to inheritance tax.
Their economic modelling revealed the devastating impact of inheritance tax on rural businesses.
It found a 200-acre farm could face a £370,000 bill, wiping out more than 100% of annual profits. Even couples aren’t spared, with a 350-acre farm facing a £475,000 hit, erasing 99% of profits for the next decade.
Since 1992, agricultural property relief has allowed family farms to pass down tax-free. The tax exemption reflected the challenges of farming, which is often unprofitable and relies on family continuity.
From April 2026, this changes. Full relief will only apply to the first £1m of farmland and assets. Above that, inheritance tax will be 20%, paid over 10 years interest-free.
The government argues this is a fair and balanced approach and refutes the CLA’s figures, stating less than 500 estates will be affected per year.
Find Out More...
A Survation poll of over 1,000 people in England’s 100 most rural seats, commissioned by the Country Land and Business Association, found two thirds of voters (66 per cent) say Labour “doesn’t understand or respect rural communities,” up from 33 per cent before the election.
The landmark research also showed Reform had drawn level with Labour in the countryside as support for Starmer crashed.
Keir Starmer’s party polled 21 per cent across England’s most rural constituencies, 13 percentage points behind the Conservatives (34 per cent) and equal with Reform (21 per cent) who were up five percentage points.
The poll also found more than half of voters (57 per cent) say they now trust Labour less, while nearly a quarter of Labour voters in July are “unhappy” with their vote.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the research also found the countryside to be backing farmers.
Opposition to the inheritance tax hike stands at 58 per cent, with less than a quarter in support. Even among Labour voters in rural areas, 44 per cent are against, while 37 per cent are in favour.
Victoria Vyvyan, president of the Country Land and Business Association who commissioned the poll, said: “The Budget threatens business viability and the future of our rural communities.
“The government promised growth, and to be the ‘party of the countryside’, but you can’t tax your way to prosperity.
“Trust, once lost, is hard to win back. Can Labour regain it? Only with a sincere apology, real action, and a clear commitment to the rural economy. Anything less, and the damage could be irreversible.
“Rural communities aren’t here to be taxed and forgotten. We’re here to drive growth, to feed the nation, and to fuel the economy. All we want is a government that matches our ambition.”
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This polling comes ahead of two important events. Firstly, Opposition Day in the House of Commons tomorrow where the Tories are expected to force a vote on the family farm tax.
This will force Labour MPs in rural constituencies to either publicly support the measure and enrage constituents or defy the government and risk having the Labour whip withdrawn, something Starmer has shown he is not afraid to do.
The second major event is another protest scheduled for December 11 in central London, when furious farmers plan to ‘ramp up the pressure’ on Keir Starmer with another larger and more chaotic protest, warning ‘nothing is off limits.’
The CLA, who represent over 20,000 farmers, has been leading the campaign against changes to inheritance tax.
Their economic modelling revealed the devastating impact of inheritance tax on rural businesses.
It found a 200-acre farm could face a £370,000 bill, wiping out more than 100% of annual profits. Even couples aren’t spared, with a 350-acre farm facing a £475,000 hit, erasing 99% of profits for the next decade.
Since 1992, agricultural property relief has allowed family farms to pass down tax-free. The tax exemption reflected the challenges of farming, which is often unprofitable and relies on family continuity.
From April 2026, this changes. Full relief will only apply to the first £1m of farmland and assets. Above that, inheritance tax will be 20%, paid over 10 years interest-free.
The government argues this is a fair and balanced approach and refutes the CLA’s figures, stating less than 500 estates will be affected per year.
Find Out More...