Hundreds of tractors converge on Westminster in latest farmers’ protest

Farmers and tractors have started to descend into London today to protest against the Labour government’s changes to inheritance tax.

The ‘RIP British Farming’ protest has been organised in response to last month’s ‘toxic’ Budget which farmers claims is an ‘existential threat’.

The planned changes stated farms with assets with over £1 million lose their longstanding exemption to inheritance tax.

Now farmers are saying this would ‘spell the death knell’ for the industry, and are even threatening to hold back supplies.

Liz Webster, founder of Save British Farming which has organised the protest along with Kent Fairness for Farmers, told Sky News: ‘Yes we would consider holding back food to show what we do.

‘A lot of people think food just comes from a supermarket. We want the country to wake up to what the government are doing.’

Phil and Katie Cookes with their five-month-old daughter Florence said they may have to sell up their Birmingham farm (Picture: John Dunne)

Tractors are driven through Westminster, London (Picture: PA Wire)

Farmers have reacted over the inheritance tax changes for farming businesses (Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

Farmers are saying this would ‘spell the death knell’ for the industry (Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

A transporter carrying tractors drive is unloaded on Millbank in Westminster (Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

Phil and Katie Cookes with their five-month-old daughter Florence said they may have to sell up their Birmingham farm.

They said this leaves Florence without the option to inherit and become a farmer.

Phil told Metro: ‘My dad is 76. We have to think of the future. Florence may never have the option of being a farmer because of this terrible tax decision.

‘We are here to fight for her future. We have had three generations farming we want her to be able to be the fourth if she wants.’

Dozens of farmers were seen doing circuits of Parliament Square and honking horns.

Their vehicles were draped with banners with slogans including ‘back British farmers’.

Other slogans included ‘Food security is national security’ and ‘Starmer Farmer Harmer’. 

Tourists looked on as the tractor drivers waved to the crowds. The protest held up traffic around Westminster. 

Around 13,000 people rallied against the Budget in Westminster last month, with celebrities such as Jeremy Clarkson and Andrew Lloyd Webber joining politicians Kemi Badenoch, Sir Ed Davey and Nigel Farage in protesting the changes.

Farmers are set to continue their protests in Westminster today (Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

Tractors are expected to travel into the capital from across the country for today’s protest, including from Exmoor, Shropshire, Somerset and the home counties, for the latest protest.

The vehicles will line up on Whitehall from 10am, there will be speeches at noon and a slow drive around central London from about 12.45pm.

Liz Webster, founder of Save British Farming, said: ‘This anti-farming Stalinist offensive from the Labour Government presents a real danger to us all, we rely on food to survive.’

The protest comes as the Government publishes a report on Wednesday analysing the state of UK food security.

Thousands of farmers took part in a protest outside Downing Street last month (Picture: Wiktor Szymanowicz)

Ahead of the protest, the Environment Department (Defra) said it had put £343 million into the rural economy last week, in payments for nature-friendly farming activities, benefiting more than 31,000 farmers.

Defra also announced new details of its environmental land management schemes, which pay farmers for ‘public goods’ ranging from healthy soil, rivers and hedgerows, to habitat creation and large-scale nature restoration work.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed insisted ‘our commitment to farmers is steadfast’, as he said the cash was part of a £5 billion two-year farming budget which was ‘the largest ever directed at sustainable food production in our country’s history’.

His comments echoed those of Downing Street ahead of the protest on Wednesday.

Asked if Sir Keir Starmer was concerned farmers could get more militant and restrict food supplies, a spokesman for the PM said: ‘We have been very clear we are not going to change course on this policy.

‘It was necessary to take tough decisions at the Budget and the spending review and those decisions remain.

‘But our commitment to farmers is steadfast and our message to farmers is clear, that is why we provided £5 billion to the farming budget over two years including more money than ever for sustainable food production.’

Elizabeth Baker