Farmers’ protest live: Hundreds of tractors arrive in London as Starmer under pressure over inheritance tax
Organisers say around 500 farmers are arriving with their tractors on Westminster ahead of Sir Keir Starmer answering prime minister’s questions
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Your support makes all the difference.Hundreds of farmers are driving their tractors on Westminster this morning in a second protest in as many months against changes to inheritance tax.
Save British Farming and Kent Fairness for Farmers are behind the action, with farmers bringing their vehicles to the streets of Parliament ahead of Sir Keir Starmer facing prime minister’s questions.
Last month, around 13,000 people rallied in London against the changes to inheritance tax outlined in Rachel Reeves’s Budget which will see farmers paying a 20 per cent levy on agricultural assets worth more than £1m.
Farming sector leaders say the move will directly impact family farms which are already struggling under the weight of EU competition and challenges presented by extreme weather.
Organisers say 500 farmers are arriving with their tractors to Westminster today in the ‘RIP British Farming’ protest. From 10am, they have been assembling outside Parliament from 10am before speeches take place from noon.
At around 12.45pm, the tractors will begin a slow drive before returning to Parliament.
Kent Fairness For Farmers organiser and beef farmer Matt Cullen said: “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.”
UK produces 62 per cent of food consumed - report reveals today
On the day of the protest, the government has published a report on Wednesday analysing the state of UK food security.
It has found that the UK was 75 per cent self-sufficient in the food that can be grown in this country in 2023, and produced the equivalent of 62 per cent of overall food consumed.
The figures are broadly unchanged over the past two decades, but the report also warned long term declines in “natural capital” – resources such as clean water, healthy soils and wildlife – is a pressing risk to UK food production.
The report also said extreme weather continues to have a significant effect on domestic production, particularly arable crops, fruit and vegetables.
And the UK continues to be “highly dependent” on imports to meet demand for fruit, vegetables and seafood, which are significant sources of nutrients for consumers, and many of the countries this food is imported from face their own climate-related challenges and sustainability risks, the report said.
All this comes as farmers claim the changes to inheritance tax, as announced in the Budget, will see farms produce less as land is sold off to pay for the levy.
‘All we want to do is feed the public’
Bex Broad, a fourth generation farmer from Sevenoaks in Kent says she’s joined the protest with her family to push the government to rethink its Budget.
She said the planned changes to inheritance tax were her biggest worry, with fears farms would have to sell off land in able to afford it.
“We will see businesses go overnight,” she said.
Ms Broad urged the public to support farmers by buying local.
“All we want to do is feed the public.”
Meanwhile, inside Parliament...
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has kicked off with MPs first hearing from countryside and farming leaders and financial experts on the effects of the changes to inheritance tax.
First up is Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser at the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, David Sturrock, senior research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank and Stuart Maggs, head of tax and partner at Howes Percival law firm and Dr Arun Advani, director of the think tank CenTax.
Committee chairman Alistair Carmichael said: “This morning, we are going to be scrutinising the potential impacts of the proposed changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief on the farming sector.”
Nigel Farage joins farmers protesting outside Parliament
Just like at last month’s protest, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has joined farmers in their calls for the government to reverse changes to inheritance tax for farms.
Holding a banner saying ‘with our farmers’, he’s been pictured smiling with a farmer cap on his head.
Protest now in full swing
Dozens of tractors are now in Westminster for today’s protest.
Some are being driven along the roads, some are parked up in a line - all appear to be blowing horns and flashing lights as the farmers aim to get their message across on the impact of inheritance tax on their businesses.
Many tractors also have signs with slogans such as “back British farmers” and “no farmers no food”.
Map of slow procession by tractors as police warn of road closures
As we’ve been saying, after the speeches today, the tractors will start a slow procession on an agreed route around Westminster.
We’ve now had a map provided from the Met Police.
A force spokesperson said: “We have had a number of positive conversations with the protest organisers to safely manage the event and expect a high number of people driving tractors to take part in a procession.
“They will form up in Whitehall before travelling down Millbank, Horseferry Road and Victoria Street.
There will be a staggered closure of some roads around this area and diversions will be in place.”
The Met Police expect all closures to be lifted by 4pm.
Live pictures from the ground at Westminster
This is a fastly-moving picture with more tractors arriving by the minute. Here are the latest pictures from outside Parliament.
How disruptive will today’s protest be?
We’re already seeing plenty of pictures of tractors arriving outside Parliament, but following last month’s large-scale protest, how disruptive will this one be?
At 12noon there will be speeches outside Parliament, before at 12.45am, the tractors will go on a loop course around Westminster that will see some roads closed off.
The route has been drawn up with support from the Met Police.
Organiser Liz Webster told me: “We worked very closely with the Met who have been absolutely brilliant - we have worked a plan with the police so that the route we have got is closed off so it’ll be as disruptive as whenever a major event happens in London and a few streets are closed off.”
Strike action not ruled out - but very unlikely before Christmas
Question on many people’s minds is how far farmers will go in their campaign against the inheritance tax changes.
With the Labour government standing firm, campaign groups such as Save British Farming are exploring ways to increase the pressure on MPs.
That starts with the second protest happening today at Westminster, with around 500 tractors believed to be arriving ahead of Sir Keir Starmer answering prime minister’s questions.
Next up, Liz Websiter, founder of the Save British Farming, told me they will target minister towns by arriving with tractors. She said the new transport secretary Heidi Alexander, MP for Swindon, was on the hit list.
But what about strike action? When I asked, here is what she said: “At the moment, nothing as far as I’m concerned, we have not organised anything but we are open to co-ordinating with others, it’s a mass effort.
“It won’t be before Christmas, I doubt it, we don’t want to interupt people’s Christmases.”
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