Alex James of the band Blur recently appeared in an interview with Channel 4 News on December 18, 2024. During the interview with the channel's Krishnan Guru-Murthy, the bassist and a farmer since the 2000s, was asked his opinion on the new farmer inheritance tax being introduced by the Keir Starmer-led Labour Party government.
Alex James at first replied with a joke, before becoming serious and recalling the crisis of 2001 when he bought his cheese farm in Oxfordshire's Kingham:
"When does the inheritance tax kick in? ... I'm slightly concerned my children are going to try and kill me before that kicks in...Every time you saw a farmer on telly he - and it was always a man - was in tears. It had been a really really tough time. And when you think of a farmer now, it's Jeremy Clarkson laughing his head off."
Alex James continued:
"I remember thinking we were taking a huge, reckless, romantic leap into the unknown buying a farm. I've since come to realise it's just literally the next cliche in the book of rock cliches. You either die or you end up living on a farm."
Alex James is not the only one to have reacted to the new inheritance tax law, which would set any farm valued over £1 million at a 20% tax for being passed down from one owner to another. The tax-exempt figure is raised to £3 million for couple-owned farms.
The bill has been criticized by Tom Bradshaw of the National Union of Farmers in the UK, who stated in his response to the bill:
"Despite ministers previously claiming this was about punishing wealthy people avoiding tax, it’s clear from the Prime Minister’s words today that it is simply an indiscriminate revenue-raising measure with no thought given to who it impacts..."
Other figures to criticize the bill included Central Association of Agricultural Valuers member Jeremy Moody, who was skeptical of the claimed impact of the new tax:
"For ministers to see an APR claim as the sum total of a farm is to miss the point that APR is only about land and buildings, leaving machinery, livestock, deadstock, other farming assets and diversified activities for BPR … The lack of data given for BPR claims is concerning when we seek an informed debate.”
Alex James hosts The Big Feastival festival on his farm
Alex James's cheese farm is known for its cheese but also The Big Feastival, the largest UK-based food and music festival. The festival has been held since 2012 and was founded by James in collaboration with Jamie Oliver.
The upcoming edition of the festival will be held from August 22, 2024, to August 24, 2024, at James's Farm. Tickets for the festival are currently on sale, with ticket prices depending on the ticket category. Adult Camping ticket priced at £245 plus booking fees. Adult Weekend Only tickets are priced at £195 plus booking fee.
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The Big Feastival has previously featured performances by the likes of RAYE, Stereophonics, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Zara Larsson, Lewis Capaldi, Becky Hill, Frances, Kaiser Chiefs, and more.
The festival has been held annually since 2012, except for the 2020 edition, which was canceled due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The festival has previously drawn over 50,000 people on average.
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