No 10 dodges row over Elon Musk’s claims UK is ‘going full Stalin’ with farmers

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Downing Street has refused to be drawn into a row with Elon Musk, after the tech billionaire described the Government as “going full Stalin” in its approach to farmers. But Mr Musk was more critical of the reforms in his response, writing in a repost: “Britain is going full Stalin.” The billionaire’s claim appears to be a reference to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s forced collectivisation of once privately owned farms, which brought them into state control between 1928 and 1940. A No 10 spokeswoman said: “The responses I gave this morning continue to be the case: that we will continue to engage with the industry and explain how the process works, and it remains the case that we expect the vast majority to be unaffected by the changes.” She would not be drawn into saying whether the Government rejected Mr Musk’s premise, adding only: “The Prime Minister’s own words are very clear in terms of the support that we have for farmers and their importance, and we will continue to communicate how the scheme works to provide that reassurance.” The Twitter and Tesla owner has previously been an outspoken critic of Sir Keir Starmer’s ministry, and is set to advise President-elect Trump on how to reform and make savings for the US federal government. Official estimates suggest only the richest quarter of landowners will be affected, but the NFU and others say reforms to inheritance tax relief could drag more farmers into paying extra.