Hundreds of farmers gathered in Westminster today, chanting “no farmers, no food” outside Downing Street, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faced tough questioning in the Commons over proposed changes to inheritance tax.
Tractors blocked parts of Whitehall during a demonstration organised by Save British Farming and Kent Fairness for Farmers, reflecting the industry’s growing anger over Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s levy proposals.
Under the plans, announced in last month’s Budget, inheritance tax will rise to 20 per cent on agricultural assets worth more than £1 million. Although the government insists the majority of farms will remain unaffected, farmers’ groups have argued that the threshold is far too low for many family-run holdings. Approximately 500 farmers travelled to Westminster today to protest, following a rally of around 13,000 people in the capital last month.
As the protest took place, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey pressed Sir Keir Starmer on whether he would “change course and recognise the vital role that family farms play.” In response, the Prime Minister stated that the “vast majority” of farms would be unaffected, citing the £3 million threshold for an “ordinary family” case.
However, many farmers remain unconvinced. Matt Cullen, a beef farmer and organiser with Kent Fairness for Farmers, claimed: “We need to show this government that we will not be pushed over and have our farms destroyed. This is war and we will win and force the government into a U-turn.”
Among the demonstrators was 26-year-old Claire Fifield, whose step-family runs a tenanted farm in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. Ms Fifield said the £1 million threshold was unrealistically low given the costs associated with farming: “I don’t think they’ve spoken to a single farmer, especially not a tenant farmer. They looked at Jeremy Clarkson and decided to take his money, but this punishes people who have been working these lands for generations.”
The emotional toll of the dispute was highlighted during a session of the Commons Environment Committee, where Tom Bradshaw, President of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), was moved to tears while describing the pressure some farmers face. Middle-aged farmers are reportedly worried their parents will not live the seven years required to avoid tax liabilities, putting businesses that have been nurtured for decades at risk. Bradshaw warned of severe human consequences, including the possibility of farmers taking their own lives due to financial despair.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Conservative MP Jerome Mayhew reminded Sir Keir Starmer of his pre-election remarks to the NFU, where he acknowledged that losing a farm “is not like losing any other business.” Mayhew accused the current administration of being duplicitous. Sir Keir countered by highlighting the £5 billion of support pledged to agriculture over the next two years, including £350 million allocated in the last week, and reiterated that “the vast majority of farmers will be unaffected” by the changes.
As tensions remain high, the government stands by its reforms, while many farmers fear the new inheritance tax threshold will jeopardise family farms that have supported communities and produced British food for generations.