Hundreds of tractors from across the UK descended on Westminster last Wednesday (11 December) as protests against proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief continued.
The London action was organised by Kent Fairness for Farmers and Save British Farming, who dubbed it an ‘RIP British Farming’ protest. Founder of Save British Farming, Liz Webster, commented, “This anti-farming Stalinist offensive from the Labour Government presents a real danger to us all, we rely on food to survive. Losing the ability to feed ourselves means a total loss of control, we learnt hard lessons in the last two world wars about the fact that food security is national security. Keir Starmer must listen to farmers and step back from the brink and do what is right and best for our great country.”
Jeff Gibson, founder of Kent Fairness For Farmers, added, “In most cases we are happy and immensely proud to provide food without any real financial gain, in the hope we can pass on our farms, which we’ve worked so hard to protect and care for, to the next generation.
“The questions I ask you today are what future does farming have? Can we really expect the next generation to start their farming careers paying 10 years of tax burden because we died? My message to this government is I am happy to pay any tax to contribute to society like everyone else, but I can’t do that now with both arms tied behind my back.”
David Catt, a vegetable and herb farmer from Maidstone in Kent, said, “These are all generational farmers, so the value of the land they’re working is irrelevant to what they do. The trouble is the money you’re getting out of the land does [not] cover the inheritance tax.”
More than 500 tractors were reported to have attended the Westminster protest, but local events were also held across the country, including Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast, as well as Felixstowe, Northamptonshire and York. There are suggestions that while farmers do not want to lose widespread public support, more militant actions, such as withholding food deliveries or blockades could be the next step if Labour does not water down or reverse its proposals.
However, during Prime Minister’s Questions – at the same time as the protest outside in Parliament Square – Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer accused those (including the NFU, CLA and CAAV) who claim thousands of farms will be affected by the changes of “fearmongering.” A Downing Street official added that, “This Government… remain[s] steadfast in our support for farmers.”
Farmers also slammed comments by Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden Dame Siobhain McDonagh, who said, “I don’t think farmers, large farmers, should be exempt to inheritance tax because nobody else is… I tell you, I come from a country – or my family come from a country – where there are lots of farmers. Quite hard to find a poor farmer.”
