‘Biased!’ BBC uses Labour activist to back Reeves on farmers’ death duty grab after ‘truth-checkers’ delete statement supporting raid claims

The BBC has received backlash after it used a Labour activist to support Rachel Reeves on the Goverment’s claims on the farmers’ death duty.

However, the BBC Verify article – which was written by “independent tax expert” Dan Neidle – was criticised for its “biased” behaviour after it deleted the article which backed Labour.

BBC Verify said that the Government’s figures about the number of farms which are likely to be affected by the tax raid was “likely” to be correct.

After the Prime Minister shared the broadcaster’s findings, a political row broke out over the BBC’s independence and impartiality.

This backlash has formed part of a wider retaliatory movement by the agricultural industry, following the major farmers’ protest in Westminster on Tuesday.

The event was attended by more than 10,000 individuals from across the UK, as well as high-profile campaigners, including Nigel Farage, Jeremy Clarkson and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

News websites have conflicting results when it comes to identifying the number of farms who will be directly affected by the Government’s taxes which the Labour Chancellor announced last month.

While Government ministers have insisted that 500 farms will be affected by the tax change, the Country and Business Association has said that the number is likely to be closer to 70,000 and that the change will have “devastating” consequences for families in the industry.

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