Country Land and Business Association (CLA) president Gavin Lane, who farms in west Norfolk, spoke to around 100 guests at the association's Essex AGM at Lord Rayleigh’s Farms near Chelmsford.

In a wide-ranging speech, he said the organisation needed to be a "sensible voice in the room" with all political parties during a time of economic and political uncertainty.

For example, he said CLA campaigning had helped secure the partial government climbdown on controversial farm inheritance tax (IHT) proposals last year, when the threshold was raised from £1m to £2.5m - but he warned that the government had not gone far enough.

“I still feel........

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