The well of sympathy was bone dry for the castle-owner whining to the Daily Telegraph about incoming tax changes
If you’ve been struggling to feel sorry for the owners of farms worth upwards of £3 million, wait until you see what the Daily Telegraph has served up as a sob story.
Jason Lindsay‘s Grade I listed castle, complete with a Norman keep built around 1140, comes with 140 acres of land in the Essex countryside and the Grade II listed Georgian mansion where he and his wife live. We know! The destitution is off the scale.
The estate is a wedding venue for around 80 (presumably) happy couples each year, so his particular concern is with a proposed cut in Business Property Relief, but there wasn’t a whole lot of sympathy going around. There was, however, plenty of sarcasm.
1.
Starmer cannot survive this
— Henry Mance (@henrymance.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 7:06 PM
2.
Just as I was about to buy a 12th-century castle too…
DAMN YOU LABOUR, DAMN YOU TO HELL!
— Tom Jamieson (@tomjam.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 10:17 PM
3.
Why would he want to antagonise the Norman princes in this way
— Rob Tyers (@thexclaim6.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 7:08 PM
4.
I have no sympathy
He'd have a better chance with a moat and an outer wall for starters
— Rich (@pibasedlifeform.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 7:10 PM
5.
His castle gets agricultural IHT relief? Did he keep cows in it?
— Lerrup (@lerrup.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 7:15 PM
6.
*12th Century Ireland looks Directly to Camera*
— Vox Hiberionacum (@voxhib.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 9:46 PM
7.
Our thoughts are with him at this difficult time.
— Sine MacMiadhachain (@sinemac.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 7:16 PM
8.
I was a bit peeved about the millions in poverty barely surviving, but this has me incandescent, my empathy cup overfloweth.
— keithstrasse.bsky.social (@keithstrasse.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 7:32 PM
9.
It's been a while since we had a castle seige. I don't think HMRC even trains in medieval small arms combat anymore.
Should be a good match.
— Too Much Spoon (@toomuchspoon.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 7:50 PM
10.
Smiles in Thomas Cromwell.
— Alison Charlton (@alicharlo.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 10:18 PM
11.
— taxbod (@taxbod.net) November 24, 2024 at 9:09 PM
12.
Quite the most superb tax headline of the year.
— Rebecca Boden (@rebeccaboden.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 9:00 PM