Inquest Told Farmer Committed Suicide Over Reeves Farm Tax – Guido Fawkes

Inquest Told Farmer Committed Suicide Over Reeves Farm Tax

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More sobering details on the death of Yorkshire farmer John Charlesworth were heard at Sheffield coroner’s court yesterday. Charlesworth committed suicide a day before Reeves’ budget.

His son Jonathan told the inquest that upcoming inheritance tax changes were the cause:

“In the couple of months before it happened, the only thing he talked about was inheritance tax. I think he just wasn’t going to let the government beat him, that was his final hurrah. I think he was under stress looking after my mum but if it hadn’t been for worries about inheritance tax he would still be here today. He wouldn’t have put us all through that for any other reason. He thought he was doing it for the good. I don’t agree with that, but he thought he was doing it for the greater good.”

The inquest was told that Charlesworth left instructions for saving the farm – in the family since the 1950s – from a large IHT bill. Farmers have been protesting the destructive tax changes – which only raise a tiny £500 million – almost weekly since the budget back in October. A deeply upsetting and unsettling development…