Labour's 'war on Downton Abbey': Rachel Reeves accused of mounting an 'assault on Britain's heritage' by hiking taxes on the nation's historic country homes

Rachel Reeves has been accused of waging ‘war on Downton Abbey’ by hiking taxes on the nation’s historic country homes. Rachel Reeves has been accused of waging ‘war on Downton Abbey ’ by hiking taxes on the nation’s historic country homes Lord and Lady Carnarvon outside of Highclere Estate which was used as the main filming location for Downton Abbey. A survey for the Historic Houses association – which includes the castle – reveals many could be forced to cut staff Tory culture spokesman Saqib Bhatti said: ‘Their war on Downton Abbey is economically illiterate and threatens our history' ‘Every hospitality business is partly about employing people. Inheritance tax changes could completely undermine the viability of the businesses that operate in these heritage settings.’ But a Treasury spokesman said: ‘With our public services crumbling, a £22 billion fiscal black hole and 47 per cent of these reliefs going to the wealthiest 7 per cent of estates, we had to make difficult choices to fix the foundations of the country and restore economic stability needed for businesses to thrive.’