The Conservative leader has vowed to keep up the pressure on the government to repeal its controversial ‘tractor tax’ after hearing first-hand concerns from a farming family in Petersfield.

Kemi Badenoch MP visited the Caines Farm Partnership off Heath Road East on Monday to further highlight how Labour’s proposed family farm tax would damage rural livelihoods.

The Tory leader was accompanied by East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds on a 90-minute tour where she discussed issues facing the industry at length with farmer, Peter Caines, and his son, Harry.

The meeting was originally set up to discuss the potential impact of the ‘tractor tax’, which would end agricultural property relief on inheritance tax, meaning farmland could face crippling duties when passed between generations.

The groundwork was laid down in November as Mr Caines and other East Hampshire farmers met Mr Hinds at the Houses of Parliament during the protests in Whitehall.

Peter told Ms Badenoch about his dairy herd – his firm supplies Arla – and his respect for the Co-op before raising his concerns about changes to inheritance tax and other issues facing the industry, from budgetary worries to food security and badger culling.

“I’m a partner, Harry is a partner and my brother has driven diversification on this farm,” said Mr Caines Snr, before reeling off other factors facing the farm like environmental concerns, employment prospects and pressures from supermarkets.

“It’s got to the point where we feel diversification is subsidising food production – it’s not a great place to be in. You never really hear the government talking about farming, either, which is concerning.”

His son, Harry, joked Keir Starmer would probably be chased off with pitchforks if he visited a farm after bemoaning Labour’s complete lack of engagement.

He said: “Even after the big protest in London they still wouldn’t sit down and have a conversation with us.

“How does that pan out for anything when they don’t listen? If the people are on your doorstep banging a drum and they don’t even want a conversation it doesn’t fill you with confidence.”

Mr Hinds said before Kemi’s arrival the Conservatives remain deeply opposed to the family farm tax and are determined to turn it around.

He said: “But it’s also really important this sector gets listened to because a lot of farmers I speak to say they don’t feel they are.

“We know a lot of farms have put off investment since the budget and we really need that investment.”

Kemi, in between answering questions about Peter Mandelson’s sacking and the defection of Danny Kruger to Reform on the morning, said Starmer and his party are disconnected from farmers.

She said: “My concern is that if we stop talking about it, people will forget about this.

“So every other week I try to go to a different farm in a different part of the country — sometimes an arable farm, sometimes a dairy farm like this one.”

She added: “We need food security in our country, we need to make sure we’re producing as much as possible.

“We need to make sure our policy is joined and what we are seeing right now is a government that’s distracted.”

In response, a government spokesperson said: “Farming plays a central role in our mission to kickstart economic growth, with farmers acting as stewards for our nation's food security.

“We’ve allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and have appointed former NFU president Baroness Minette Batters to recommend new reforms to boost farmers’ profits.

“Our reforms to Agricultural and Business Property Relief are vital to fix the public services we all rely on.

“Three quarters of estates will continue to pay no inheritance tax at all, while the remaining quarter will pay half the inheritance tax that most people pay, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free.”

Peter enjoyed this moment with the Conservative leader, with a call from Tory head office and some work by Damian leading to the meeting. But was he convinced?

He said: “Do farmers really matter to political parties while the supermarket shelves are full?

“I just fear at some point it will all come down to roost.”