More than 150 angry farmers and businesses have written to their Hampshire MPs protesting over the anti-rural measures announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the autumn Budget.

Letters signed by constituents have been sent to MPs across the county condemning the introduction of a cap on vital inheritance tax reliefs for farms, in what has been dubbed the ‘family farm tax’ or ‘tractor tax’.

As well as capping agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR), the Chancellor also announced a freeze of the farming budget – a cut in real terms.

It is believed that 70,000 farms across the UK will be impacted by the capping of inheritance tax reliefs, leading to fears across the industry that family farms will have to sell land to pay tax bills, hitting food security and environmental projects.

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Tim Bamford, regional director of the CLA in the South East, has criticised changes announced in the Budget (Image: CLA) The letter calls on MPs to put pressure on the Treasury to change course and build a rural economy that can feed the nation, improve the environment, create jobs and generate growth.

In Hampshire, MPs receiving letters include Danny Chambers, Lib Dem MP for Winchester, signed by 36 farmers and businesses; Damian Hinds, Conservative MP for East Hampshire, signed by 19; and Luke Murphy, Labour MP for Basingstoke, signed by 18.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents farmers, landowners and rural businesses, is campaigning for the government to maintain APR and BPR.

Tim Bamford, regional director of the CLA in the South East covering Hampshire, said: "The Chancellor’s announcement will have massive consequences for hard-pressed farmers, consumers and the environment.

"The government appears to think inheritance tax reliefs for farmers are ‘loopholes’. In reality, they are targeted reliefs designed to protect Britain’s rural economy, jobs and food security.

"This isn’t the only challenge that the farming community is facing.

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"The real-term cut to the agriculture budget in England will mean that the government's own ambitions and targets for nature will be impossible to deliver.

"The fear and anger felt by farmers and rural businesses cannot be overstated.

"There is enormous growth potential in the countryside, but we need the government to be working with us, not against us."

It comes as farmers lobbied against the tax changes in London on Tuesday, while the CLA is holding a conference on Thursday featuring a keynote address from Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed.