The huge convoy of over 600 tractors, some driving for over 8 hours, arrived at Westminster on Wednesday 11 December, causing a total gridlock in the area. The protest was organised by Save British Farming and Kent Fairness for Farmers.
Tractors lined up at Whitehall from early morning to hear a number of speeches at noon, and then began a slow drive around London’s city centre.
Farm Inheritance Tax
The farmers main beef is the shake-up to Farm Inheritance Tax, announced by Labour in its budget. This would see farmers having to pay 20% tax when a farm is handed down to the next generation.
Labour has argued that this controversial move, which kicks in after an exemption threshold of £1 million, will only affect a few hundred wealthy landowners. However, farmers argue that this tax will affect thousands of them as land prices have risen considerably, and that an average farm with 100 hectares is worth well over £2 million. Farmers also argue that their farms are only worth this if sold, and that they cannot afford to pay a 20% tax to keep their family farm in operation, like they have done for decades.
However, UK prime minister and Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, has remained firm on his party’s stance putting the issue in a stalemate situation.
‘No farmers, no food’
With these most recent protests, farmers say this is the end of British farming and many tractors displayed signs stating ‘RIP UK farming; cause of death K Starmer’. Others said ‘No farmers, no food’, ‘Not hungry – thank a farmer’, and ‘Save British Farming’.
While outside farmers listened to speeches and engaged with the public and some politicians, inside Westminster during an Environment Committee meeting, National Farmers’ Union (NFU) president Tom Bradshaw could barely hold back tears as he highlighted how some farmers may end up taking their own lives over this tax.
Public support needed
After the meeting Bradshaw said: “If we’ve got to, we will carry on protesting through to the spring. The public have done nothing wrong. We absolutely have to have their support. I really don’t want them to get caught in the eye of this storm. Making sure we don’t cut off their supplies, and we keep the public on our side, is essential to making sure the government has to listen. The sense of anger is one I’ve never known. It’s now down to the government. The ball is in their court. They could stop this tomorrow.”
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‘Asset-rich, cash-poor’
Among the farmers, cereal grower Will Elliot from Surrey had spent 3 hours in his tractor getting to the protest. “The industry is already down on its knees and this is just another kick in the teeth,” said the 50-year-old farmer. “My family have been farming in Surrey for 9 generations within about 5 miles. I’m the 4th generation to run our current farm. Obviously, the idea is that we want to pass it down to the next generation, but farmers are asset-rich, cash-poor. We’re not going to have the money to pay the inheritance tax. In Surrey, for instance, it doesn’t take much to reach the million pounds.”
Farm leaders have already said more tractor protests are planned in towns and cities where Labour ministers hold parliamentary seats.
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