Farmers descend on Westminster in protest over inheritance tax changes

National Farmers' Union claims 75 per cent of commercial farms will be affected

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  Protesters drive tractors through Westminster, central London, during a demonstration by farmers against the UK government's new agricultural policy. Reuters

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  Farmers hold placards during the protest in Westminster. The new policy includes a budget measure expected to increase inheritance tax liabilities for some farmers. EPA

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  British television presenter and farm owner Jeremy Clarkson speaks to the media during the demonstration. Reuters

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  Farmers are protesting over the changes to inheritance tax rules announced in the recent budget by the Labour government. EPA

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  The new inheritance tax rules will introduce new taxes on farms worth more than £1 million. EPA

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  Farmers protest in central London. PA

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  Tractors drive along Whitehall. Getty Images

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  Farmers during the protest. PA

Thousands of farmers marched on Westminster in central London on Tuesday to protest against controversial changes to inheritance tax in the UK.

Police estimated 10,000 people had joined the rally shortly before midday, with more arriving. Farmers have reacted with anger and dismay to the inheritance tax changes, which limit the existing 100 per cent relief for farms to only the first £1 million ($1.2 million) of combined agricultural and business property.

Some warn they will have to sell off land to meet the costs and are threatening to strike over the pressures they say they are being put under by government policy, while there are warnings over people's mental health.

Family farms have been passed down tax-free since 1992 under rules that were intended to bolster food security. But from April 2025, only the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business property will be tax-free, with the remainder subject to a reduced rate of 20 per cent, payable over 10 years interest-free.

Labour claims the current rule has been exploited by wealthy families who bought farms to pass on their estate tax-free – and these changes close the loophole.

The government claims the vast majority of farms will not be affected. It points out the inheritance tax threshold is higher for couples and once you add the £1 million for the farm land to the £1 million exemption which exists for a spouse, the threshold is £3 million for couples wanting to pass the farm on to their children.

Protesters brave the rain at Westminster on Tuesday. EPA

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has said only about 500 farms a year will be subject to the tax, based on previous figures.

But the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) argues the numbers could be far higher because the threshold combines land, machinery, buildings and other assets, meaning even fairly modest farms could be hit. Its latest analysis suggested 75 per cent of commercial farms, over 20 hectares, would be affected by the changes.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw gave a speech to members taking part in a mass lobby ahead of their meetings with MPs, at Church House, Westminster, in which he became emotional as he highlighted the cost of the policy on farmers, as well as food security.

"We know the horrendous pressure it is putting on the older generation of farmers who have given everything to providing food for this country,” he said.

"We know that any tax revenue will be taken from our children and raised from those that die in tragic circumstances, all within the next seven years. The human impact of this policy is simply not acceptable, it's wrong,” he added, to sustained applause.

TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson speaking to the crowd during a farmers' demonstration on Whitehall. Getty Images

He warned the policy was "kicking the legs out from under British food security" and “will rip the heart out of Britain's family farms, launched on bad data with no consultation, and it must be halted and considered properly".

Speaking to journalists after the rally, Mr Bradshaw said they offered to meet members of the Treasury but “Rachel Reeves has refused to engage”.

"The human impact of this policy is one I don't believe they intended but the longer they leave this hanging, the more I start to think it's vindictive, rather than miscalculated,” he said.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed denied that Labour, which has many more MPs in rural areas since the general election, did not understand the countryside.

"This Labour government has just allocated £5 billion to support sustainable food production in the UK. That's the biggest budget of that kind in our country's history and it shows that we're backing farmers," he said, outlining other measures to support farmers on issues such as flooding and trade.

British farmers stage London protest over inheritance tax reform

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"All of that shows farmers that this is a government on their side and the changes to inheritance tax will affect only around 500 farms. The vast majority of farmers will pay nothing more."

Outside on the streets of Whitehall, where some carried placards labelling the policy as "the final straw", celebrities including Jeremy Clarkson – who has previously said avoiding inheritance tax was "the critical thing" in his decision to purchase farmland but told PA on Tuesday it was because he wanted to shoot – joined farmers for the protest.

Speaking at a photocall of Tory MPs and farmers as the protest kicked off in London, shadow chancellor Mel Stride said they were taking part to show solidarity. "We believe that this government doesn't understand the countryside or farming and broke its promise when it said that it would not be imposing inheritance tax on farms – it has now done that."

Children ride toy tractors past Big Ben during Tuesday's demonstration. AFP

His colleague, shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins, said she had given ministers at a meeting on Monday night an example of one elderly farmer considering whether "it would be better for him to pass away" before the inheritance tax changes come through and "they had no answer".

And a fourth-generation family farmer said there is a possibility he and other farmers will strike if changes to agricultural property relief are not reversed.

"We are talking about possibly striking," said Richard Wainwright, 58, from Halifax, West Yorkshire, whose grandfather began farming with a few cows and delivered milk to the surrounding area.

"I hope it doesn't come to that because that's seriously going to impact the food chain," he said, as he warned the family would possibly have to sell 20 per cent of the farmland to cover the tax bill of about £600,000.