REFORM UK leader Nigel Farage has called on the government to abolish inheritance tax and said Chancellor Rachel Reeves is in a “precarious” position.
He said during Breakfast on GB News: “Some big billionaires have bought up vast tracts of Lincolnshire, pushing land prices up to £25,000 an acre, because there has been an inheritance tax loophole.
“Whatever level you’re at, I think inheritance tax, or more accurately, death taxes, should be abolished outright. If they were, we would not have had this distortion to land values that we’ve seen over the course of the last few years.
“So no, I would get rid of inheritance tax, because the new proposals don’t just affect farmers, they affect family businesses as well, and it’s just yet another reason why people are selling up and leaving the country.
“I would say, Let’s just end death taxes and then some of these distortions won’t occur.”
Asked how secure Sir Keir Starmer is as Prime Minister, in a discussion with Eamonn Holmes and Ellie Costello, he said: “I think things are more precarious for Rachel Reeves than they are for Keir Starmer.
“She was the Chancellor that put this budget together, a budget that has absolutely dented confidence in the UK economy as a whole, victimised this particular group of people [farmers] with sums that clearly don’t add up.
“And after it, we learn that actually, she’s not a senior economist from the Bank of England. She’s hammed up her CV.
“No, I think it’s Rachel Reeves’ position that is much more vulnerable than the Prime Minister’s right now.”
Asked if there is any truth in reports claiming that Reform UK is looking at an alliance with the Conservatives, he said: “Absolutely none whatsoever. No, none.
“There might be people around the edges speculating, saying why don’t you do this, why don’t you do that?
“Do you know something to do a deal with anybody, you have to shake their hands, look them in the eyes, and believe they’re honourable? I do not believe this Conservative Party is honourable.
“I think the breach of trust that we saw after the 80-seat majority in 2019, and by the way, a majority that I helped them obtain, they’re not an organisation I would trust.
“And actually, Eamon mentioned the polls a few minutes ago, we are now ahead of the Conservative Party in every one of the last ten polls. That gap will continue to grow.
“We are now the opposition to the Labor government and I think the Tories’ days, frankly, are numbered.”
