On 14th March, James Wild MP visited Leicester House Farm in Great Massingham to meet owner Lex Brun and his team to gain insight into the challenges of running a family farm in today’s evolving agricultural landscape.
James was welcomed by Lex Brun, whose family has worked the land in West Norfolk for three generations since WW2. Together they toured the farm and discussed how the farm balances arable and livestock farming to meet shifting market demands and environmental challenges.
On one field, over 1,000 sheep grazed on stubble turnips and radishes - a practice historically traditional in Norfolk but one that has only recently been reintroduced on the farm thanks to the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme to encourage cover crops. It is a practice that maintains soil health while also producing locally sourced meat sold across England and Wales.
As they continued the tour, Lex highlighted how the farm had adapted over time with repurposed piggery buildings now serving as grain stores. James arrived just in time to talk to two employees who had just finished ploughing a field. Together, they had a combined time on the farm of over 80 years and explained to James the family farm’s longstanding roots within the local community and the techniques they had been using to work the fields over the years.
Lex also shared how Norfolk’s distinctive sandy soil is particularly suited for keeping outdoor pigs and growing malting barley, animal feed and biscuit wheat, as opposed to more traditional bread milling wheat. He then pointed out the 11 miles of hedgerows surrounding his fields which has recently been trimmed and are an important feature that enhance biodiversity but also help crop yields by protecting against soil erosion.
Throughout the visit, conversation considered the damaging consequences of the proposed “Family Farm Tax,” set to take effect in April 2026. The planned changes, which cap inheritance tax relief at £1 million and impose a 20% tax rate above that threshold, will place huge financial pressures on family-run farms, where land and assets are passed down through generations.
Lex’s main message was the damaging effect this tax change has on the confidence in the industry:
“This sudden change in policy is yet another punch below the belt for our industry that is already having a crisis in confidence. Loss of confidence equals reduced investment which results in lack of growth...which flies in the face of this governments own hopes for the farming and environmental sector.”
“It is a very complex debate with many potential implications but ultimately, because of the disproportionately high asset value of farmland and machinery, every farm business will now be living under a ‘Sword of Damocles’, that will threaten the viability of their enterprise should certain individuals die…especially so if this happens unexpectedly out of generational order…”
“This policy will destabilise the whole rural model of our British farming industry and countryside, which has always relied on farmers multigenerational perspective to steward the land and landscape to their best ability whilst providing jobs and security for the rural community.”
Having recently voted against the measure in Parliament and attended several NFU rallies in Parliament, James listened carefully to Lex’s concerns, and discussed how he could best use his position as MP to support them.
James Wild MP said:
“Leicester House Farm is a prime example of how family-run farms are adapting to modern challenges while preserving traditional practices. Lex and his team highlighted the need for more informed policies and underscored the complex, nuanced nature of the challenges they face. .
I thank Lex for his time and I will continue to advocate in Parliament and locally for policies that protect family-run farms, which have long been at the heart of our rural communities.”
Having been vocal in Parliament about his opposition to the forthcoming fiscal changes and having visited several local farmers locally to get a firm understanding of the issue, James remains steadfast in his commitment to fighting farmers’ corners in opposing the Family Farm Tax and in urging the government to withdraw and rethink their plans.
