Andy Burnham is trying to fix the UK's broken relationship with farmers

The vibe shift

For a while now, the relationship between the government and UK farmers has been, to put it mildly, mid. Following tax changes introduced under Keir Starmer—specifically a loathed inheritance tax—the vibes were off. Farmers felt totally shut out, leading to massive protests where activists like Olly Harrison and Jeremy Clarkson rolled tractors into Westminster, honking loud enough to drown out government speeches.

But there’s a new approach lately. Andy Burnham has been sliding into DMs and showing up to farms, telling agricultural workers that the government has a "long way to go to build back trust." It’s giving… damage control.

Why the tension?

The 2024 budget was the main character in this drama. Farmers argued that the tax hikes were a total L because they’d cost more than the farms actually make, potentially forcing a wave of closures. This followed a year where 6,300 agricultural businesses already shut down, squeezed by inflation and extreme weather. To make matters worse, a new £253m farming budget—meant to replace old EU subsidies—was essentially a speed-run, getting spent in just six hours, leaving thousands of farmers with absolutely nothing.

The charm offensive

Burnham’s team seems to have realized that ignoring a massive group of voters is a losing game. Environment secretary Angela Eagle has been hitting the road, visiting farms and chatting with activists like Martin Williams, who noted that "it is surprising what you can achieve if people actually speak to each other."

There’s talk that a U-turn on the inheritance tax is currently on the table, or at least some kind of "sweetener" like more funding for nature-friendly farming. It seems to be working for now, as there are no protests planned for the upcoming budget—though don’t get it twisted, some farmers are still lowkey skeptical.

Why it matters

Winning back rural voters is a massive challenge. A recent poll from the Country Land and Business Association showed that 0% of farmers would vote for Labour again. If Burnham can’t pivot and deliver actual results, the government might still be in trouble—especially with public critics like David Cameron calling the tax rules "stupid" while filming with Jeremy Clarkson. Real talk: the government needs more than just nice chats to win this back.