Farmers are about to begin swarming on Westminster for today's rally (Image: Getty)
Thousands of farmers are set to descend on Westminster today for a major day of protesting following Rachel Reeves controversial Budget.
After weeks of piling on pressure in the media, hardworking farmers will take a rare day off work today as they pull up in Whitehall to demand an urgent change of policy from the Government.
Ms Reeves sparked fury last month, when she used her first Budget to announce a hike in inheritance tax on farmers, which many warn will kill family farming in Britain, endangering the UK’s food supply and food security.
The National Farmer’s Union is set to hold a day of speeches at Church House in Westminster, before inviting members to march to parliament and demand to see their MPs.
Meanwhile a grassroots protest will kick off on Whitehall itself from 11am, with farmers expected to arrive with tractors, 4x4s, and other equipment.
Among those set to attend include Jeremy Clarkson, who has been at the forefront of voicing anger at Ms Reeves’ tax decision, accusing the Labour government of secretly wanting “to carpet bomb our farmland with new towns for immigrants and net zero wind farms”.
Follow our live blog below for all updates from the huge news day…
READ MORE: Farmers 'stabbed in back' by Labour's 'cruel' tax raid to unleash fury at rally
8 hours ago09:01 Conor Wilson
Environment Secretary Steve Reed has treated the farming industry with “contempt” says NFU president
Tom Bradshaw told LBC: “The way he’s treated the industry with contempt in what he’s been writing has landed very, very badly.”
Of the meeting he had with Mr Reed on Monday, the union president said: “I hope the Secretary of State was listening, I hope the Government are listening, I want to sit down with the Chancellor and sort this mess out.”
Asked about how many farmers will be affected by the changes to inheritance tax, Mr Bradshaw said: “There’s huge mistrust in the numbers, even Defra and the Treasury can’t agree on the number.
“Our numbers suggest that 75% of commercial farms, those farms producing this country’s food, are caught in the eye of this storm.”
On the seven-year gifting rule, Mr Bradshaw said the farmers in the “twilight of their careers” who may not expect to live for that amount of time “have been cut off at the knees”.
8 hours ago08:46 Conor Wilson
Farmers’ Union president says farmers will continue to "push back"
The president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has said farmers will continue to push back until the Government scraps agricultural inheritance tax changes.
Tom Bradshaw told Sky News: “This will carry on. They cannot have a policy in place which has such disastrous human impacts and think we’re going to go quiet.
“We don’t know what’s next, but I know the membership have never been so united in trying to overturn something in the time that I’ve been farming.”
Asked if farmers will continue on this path until the Government changes its mind, Mr Bradshaw said: “Absolutely.”
The NFU president also warned the tax changes could affect the country’s food security.
He told the broadcaster: “Up until now, any cash which is being generated from a farm business has been reinvested to deliver food production tomorrow, to deliver the food security that Sir Keir Starmer says this country needs.
“But, now, instead of reinvesting in food production it’s going to go into our pensions and into life insurance rather than investing in the very infrastructure that delivers the food security this country needs.”
9 hours ago08:32 Conor Wilson
Furious farmer tells GMB - 'Rachel Reeves has given my family ￡1m tax bill'
A farmer from North Yorkshire whose family has worked on the land since 1928 has told Good Morning Britain that they will "really struggle" to cope with Labour's changes to agricultural inheritance tax.
GMB: Farmer debates inheritance tax row with Bill Rammell
9 hours ago08:24 Steph Spyro
'End it now!' Boris Johnson insists as he sends support to farmers
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson sends farmers a message of support.
Good luck to everyone protesting today against Labour\u2019s demented family farm tax. Farmers work all hours and all year round to feed this country. We should be doing more to champion British food and keep our farmers on the land. Instead Reeves is clobbering British agriculture\u2026
\u2014 Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 19, 2024
9 hours ago08:22 Steph Spyro
Labour 'economically illiterate' approach to tax slammed
Shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins has condemned the Government’s “economically illiterate” approach to tax.
She said “If any of us care about our countryside, if we want to see the picturesque views that we have – across my home county of Lincolnshire, but (also) across the country – if we care about the quality of our crops, if we care about animal welfare, then family farming in the United Kingdom is critical to achieving all of these aims.
“And this claim that Labour has come up with today to try and divert attention away from the march, that somehow this inheritance tax and this rise in national insurance is to pay for the NHS, is economically illiterate.
“Because, as we know, this is going to raise a fraction of what, in fact, we put into the NHS and are proud to do so.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Environment Secretary Steve Reed have said the reduction in inheritance tax relief offered to farmers would “ensure that wealthier estates and the most valuable farms pay their fair share to invest in our schools and health services”.
9 hours ago08:20 Steph Spyro
Farmer warns inheritance tax changes are 'catastrophic' for sector
Changes to inheritance tax paid by farmers are “catastrophic” for the agricultural sector, a farmer has said.
Thousands of farmers are descending on the capital to protest against planned changes to agricultural property relief.
Farmers are arriving at Church House Conference Centre where NFU members are meeting on Tuesday morning.
Tom Walton, a farmer from Buckinghamshire, told the PA news agency: “My motivation is to try and engage with the Government to make them understand why the changes that they’ve made in the Budget are so catastrophic for the agricultural sector and the nation’s food security in general.
“This is likely to be the first of many engagements that we have with the Government. If today is successful, then that’s terrific, and if not then we will continue to apply pressure.”
9 hours ago08:18 Steph Spyro
Farmers will continue to hit out at the Government until it U-tuns, farming union boss warns
The president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has said farmers will continue to push back until the Government scraps agricultural inheritance tax changes.
He said: “This will carry on. They cannot have a policy in place which has such disastrous human impacts and think we’re going to go quiet.
“We don’t know what’s next, but I know the membership have never been so united in trying to overturn something in the time that I’ve been farming.”
Asked if farmers will continue on this path until the Government changes its mind, Mr Bradshaw said: “Absolutely.”
The NFU president also warned the tax changes could affect the country’s food security.
He told the broadcaster: “Up until now, any cash which is being generated from a farm business has been reinvested to deliver food production tomorrow, to deliver the food security that Sir Keir Starmer says this country needs.
“But, now, instead of reinvesting in food production it’s going to go into our pensions and into life insurance rather than investing in the very infrastructure that delivers the food security this country needs.”
9 hours ago08:13 Steph Spyro
Wear your wellies! Schoolchildren ask peers to show farmer support
A group of 5th Formers has asked pupils and staff to show their support for UK farming communities by wearing clean wellies to school tomorrow.
Wear your wellies! \ud83d\ude9c
A group of 5th Formers are asking pupils and staff to show their support for UK farming communities by wearing clean wellies to school tomorrow (19th November). pic.twitter.com/EtTViBBi3t
\u2014 Austin Friars School (@AustinFriarsSch) November 18, 2024
9 hours ago08:05 Steph Spyro
Let it snow, let it snow, let is snow...
Sleet has begun falling in Westminster ahead of the farmer protest.
The weather will do nothing to deter the angry food producers who are expected to arrive in London in droves ahead of a 11am rally.
9 hours ago07:59 Steph Spyro
The farming industry has been betrayed, NFU boss says
When Labour was in opposition, it told farmers it would not change inheirtance tax rules for farmers.
Here's the National Farmers Union president's response to Labour's broken promise.
"Am I right in saying the DEFRA Secretary, when he was in opposition, promised you this would not happen?"
National Farmers' Union President @ProagriLtd tells @KayBurley "the farming industry has been betrayed"
Full story \ud83d\ude9c https://t.co/pshkZh1BDi
\ud83d\udcfa Sky 501 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/oQQJYTTZnT
\u2014 Sky News (@SkyNews) November 19, 2024
9 hours ago07:50 Steph Spyro
Tractors circling Parliament ahead of mass protest
Several tractors can be seen in the vicinity of Parliament Square ahead of mass protests today.
Farmers have descended on Westminster with just over an hour to go until they rally their MPs over inheritance tax changes at the budget.
9 hours ago07:40 Steph Spyro
The Government has plans in place to protect food supplies, minister insists
The Government has contingency measures in place to protect food supplies if farming protests intensify, the policing minister has said.
Asked if she could guarantee that there will not be food shortages leading up to Christmas, she said: “Issues around food security are obviously national security issues.
“There are plans in place, there are contingencies always in place to deal with that, but I’m confident that won’t happen.”
9 hours ago07:39 Steph Spyro
How does this end for the Government and farmers?
There seems to be something of an impasse, with the Prime Minister and his ministers sticking to their guns on the issue, and farmers insisting it must be reversed.
Farmers are taking to the streets for a rally, with thousands expected to turn out in Westminster on Tuesday to show their anger at what one of the organisers, Lincolnshire farmer Andrew Ward, described as a “spiteful Budget which threatens the very heart of the countryside”.
He said: “Food production, wildlife and generations that have built a business will suffer, and Labour have to realise just how many people will be affected.”
And ahead of a mass lobby of MPs by the NFU also taking place on Tuesday, Mr Bradshaw said: “I don’t believe the Government have any choice but to rethink this policy.”
That shows no sign of happening yet, but the impact of Tuesday and any future protests is yet to be seen.
9 hours ago07:38 Steph Spyro
Why do farmers say the changes are a problem?
According to the NFU, while farms may have a high nominal asset value – the value of their land and business assets – the returns from farming are often very low, so farming families may not have the reserves to pay for inheritance tax liabilities without selling off assets.
The NFU’s president Tom Bradshaw said the change had left elderly farmers in the “cruellest predicament”, as they may not live for another seven years to take advantage of exemptions for gifting assets, or to hand over assets in a way that qualifies for the gifting exemption.
He has also warned the changes could undermine investment as farmers will be wary of increasing the balance sheet as they will be liable to pay inheritance tax on it.
There are also concerns that it could affect tenant farmers if landowners no longer benefit from having a tax exemption for farmed land.
Mr Bradshaw said there was a feeling among farmers that the Government did not understand food production.
10 hours ago07:37 Steph Spyro
How many farmers will be affected by Labour's changes?
According to the Treasury, some 27% of estates claiming agricultural property relief (APR) were above the ￡1 million threshold in 2021/2022, suggesting that nearly three-quarters of farms would not fall within the scope of the charges.
The Treasury says around 500 estates a year are expected to pay inheritance tax under the changes.
However, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) says farm businesses have also qualified separately for business property relief, which can cover things such as harvested grain and livestock, machinery and diversified businesses such as camping on a farmer’s field.
Now the two are combined, with a single ￡1 million allowance before inheritance tax is levied, which could mean more farms are in scope.
The NFU points to figures from the Environment Department (Defra) showing that 66% of farm businesses in England have a net value of more than ￡1 million.
But the Government has countered that analysis, saying that looking at asset value alone does not necessarily mean the farm will be affected, as it depends on individual circumstances.
10 hours ago07:29 Steph Spyro
Minister defends inheritance tax raid following ￡5bn farming budget boost
Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson has defended the changes to inheritance tax as farmers travelled to Westminster to campaign against the move.
Asked if she wanted to apologise to farmers, she said: “I fully understand the strength of feeling that the farming community have and, of course, they have the right to come and protest and lobby Parliament, as we’re seeing happening already this morning.
“But the Labour government, when it came in in July, was having to face some very difficult decisions because of the economic mess that we inherited and the ￡22 billion black hole in the public finances.
“So, difficult decisions have had to be made. So, I think that that is the backdrop to this.
“I also want to recognise that there is money going into farming. There’s over ￡5 billion over the next two years that the Government is putting into farming and the number of farms that will be affected by the changes are relatively small.”
10 hours ago07:25 Steph Spyro
Hooting begins as farmers arrive in London ahead of MP rally
It's almost daybreak here in Westminster and some hooting can already be heard as farmers begin arriving to lobby their MPs later this morning.
Around 1,800 poeople are expected to take part in the National Farmers Union action before heading to Whitehall for a larger demonstration.
10 hours ago07:23 Steph Spyro
Why have the inheritance tax changes been brought in?
The Government has said “difficult decisions” had to be made to fill a ￡22 billion fiscal hole it inherited from the Tories, and it is targeting the agricultural inheritance tax relief to make it fairer.
It said figures showed that the 7% of wealthiest estates account for 40% of the total value of agricultural property relief, costing the taxpayer ￡219 million.
10 hours ago07:15 Steph Spyro
Environment Secretary Steve Reed held talks with NFU boss yesterday to quell anger
NFU President Tom Bradshaw met Environment Secretary Steve Reed for talks in Westminster on Monday and said that after “tough conversations” the demonstration would “definitely” go ahead.
He urged farmers to be “peaceful” and “passionate” in their protest.
He said: “It was a valuable meeting. It was a great opportunity to really spell out in black and white why their evidence is wrong, why it has to come forwards in consultation, and what the extreme human pressure is that this policy has created.”
The union chief said he hoped that Mr Reed would “go away now and work with the Chancellor to try and get some sort of resolution” because the policy was “completely irrational” and “not well thought-through”.
Tom Bradshaw outside Parliament this morning (Image: PA)
10 hours ago07:10 Steph Spyro
Labour's policy will 'rip the heart' from Britain's family farms, NFU president warns
In a speech to NFU members as they come to London to lobby MPs on the issue, the organisation’s president Tom Bradshaw is expected to tell them that the “betrayal” on the tax changes is extraordinary.
He will warn that farms producing the country’s food will need to be broken up and sold as a result of the policy, “because farmers simply won’t have the money to pay this tax any other way”.
“Our request is simple – this is a policy that 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, taking in the views of the experts not just Treasury civil servants,” he will say.
He will urge members to tell MPs how the policy affects them, their families and their future, and said farmers would not give up or stop fighting the inheritance tax changes nationally and locally in every constituency.
10 hours ago07:09 Steph Spyro
Farmers' anger has been bubbling since Rachel Reeves' budget last month
Farmers have reacted with anger and dismay to the inheritance tax changes for farming businesses, which limit the existing 100% relief for farms to only the first ￡1 million of combined agricultural and business property.
For anything above that, landowners will pay a 20% tax rate, rather than the standard 40% rate of inheritance tax (IHT) applied to other land and property.
10 hours ago07:08 Steph Spyro
What protests are taking place in London today?
The National Farmers Union (NFU) is holding a mass lobby of MPs with 1,800 of its members – three times as many people as originally planned – to urge backbenchers to stand up to the Government’s plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than ￡1 million.
And thousands more are expected to join a separate rally in Whitehall as they protest against last month’s Budget, which also sped up the phase out of EU-era subsidies as funding is switched to nature-friendly farming schemes.
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10 hours ago07:04 Steph Spyro
Farmers to descend on London for protests against Rachel Reeves' inheritance tax rate
Around 20,000 farmers are expected to protest in Westminster later this morning against inheirtance tax changes in Labour's budget.
The Governemtn has insisted it is only the wealthiest farmers who will be impacted. They say around 500 farms.
But the National Farmers Union have said it could be significantly more.
We'll have seceral reporters on the ground throughout the morning bringing you ther latest from the streets of London.
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