When Jonathan Charlesworth found his father’s lifeless body in a barn on October 29, the tragedy left him reeling.

His first instinct was to protect his young children from the devastating scene, quickly calling their mother to take them away before emergency services arrived.

But it was what Jonathan found shortly after—his father’s handwritten notes—that would haunt him even more.

Beneath a suicide note, John Charlesworth, a 78-year-old Yorkshire farmer, had left behind a chilling record of his final thoughts.

The notes were filled with details about how he planned to safeguard the future of his farm from what he saw as an impending government tax crisis.

A Desperate Plan

The notes that John Charlesworth left on a clipboard revealed the weight of his worries about inheritance tax.

As the government had proposed changes to inheritance tax relief for farms worth over £1 million, John had been consumed with thoughts about how to shield his family’s farm from financial ruin.

Questions for the family solicitor lined the page: Could he execute his plans before the law changed? How would capital gains tax affect the farm? What gifts could be protected under the seven-year rule?

It was clear that John, known for his methodical nature, had been urgently seeking a solution.

Jonathan said, “That’s what he was working on before he took his life. It’s obvious what was on his mind.”

His father had long been concerned about the potential tax burden on the farm, a legacy that had been in the Charlesworth family since 1957.

A Family Legacy at Risk

Despite being the primary caregiver for his wife, Carolyn, who suffers from dementia, John’s focus in recent months had shifted toward the threat of inheritance tax.

The tax changes, which were soon to be introduced, meant that family-run farms like theirs could be hit hard, forcing many to sell off land to cover the cost.

For Jonathan, it was a crushing blow to watch his father’s painstaking efforts to protect the farm unravel.

“I haven’t had a week’s holiday in 13 years. I put in 60-hour weeks for less than £5 an hour,” Jonathan shared, reflecting on the difficult life of farming.

Despite this, he remained determined to one day pass the farm to his own children, particularly his youngest son, who is passionate about farming just like he was at that age.

However, Jonathan faces a harsh reality: while the farm may be valued at around £2 million on paper, the income from it is far from enough to sustain a family.

A Call for Change

The government’s proposed inheritance tax reforms are not just a personal matter for the Charlesworth family but a broader issue affecting many farmers across the UK.

Jonathan has spoken out, expressing his belief that these changes will cause irreparable harm to family-run farms.

“Keir Starmer has blood on his hands,” he said, accusing the Prime Minister of being complicit in the tragedy.

He also pointed a finger at Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, and her husband, Nicholas Joicey, for their roles in the policy.

Jonathan’s plea is clear: the government must reconsider the proposed tax changes, or many more farms like his could face a similar fate.

Despite the overwhelming grief, he remains determined to keep the farm running for future generations, even if it means continuing to fight against the policies that threaten its existence.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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