British farmers will descend on Westminster once more this week to protest against the government’s planned changes to inheritance tax (IHT).
The government announced changes to agricultural inheritance tax in last year’s autumn budget, sparking fury among rural communities. Under the proposals outlined in the budget, there is to be a 20 per cent inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 million.
In recent protests, thousands of farmers have gathered in Westminster to protest against the changes — with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, TV personality Jeremy Clarkson and leading politicians Kemi Badenoch, Ed Davey and Nigel Farage among them.
Industry concerns suggest the measure will force land sales, stall investment and hurt families lacking succession plans. The changes, announced in October, are due to come into force in April 2026.
Organisers say the “Pancake Day Rally” on Tuesday will be “bigger and better” than the previous two demonstrations.
The march will take place near parliament, starting at 12.00 pm on Whitehall, moving through Trafalgar Square, Northumberland Avenue, The Embankment and then into Parliament Square. It will conclude at 3 pm back on Whitehall, organisers say.
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Victoria Atkins, the Conservative Party’s environment spokesperson, rubbished Labour’s IHT changes as “vindictive” ahead of the protest on Tuesday.
She said: “Our rural communities have warned repeatedly that Labour’s tax hike is stopping investment, inflicting an enormous emotional toll on farming families and will break family farms.
“Now in these volatile times, the need to axe the Family Farm Tax is even more urgent to protect food security. Three years ago, when Russia invaded Ukraine, we all endured the higher food prices and agricultural supply chain issues that resulted from that aggression.
“This Labour tax puts our domestic food production and security at risk, as well as the very way of life of rural Britain. Food security is a critical part of our national security.
“The Conservatives understand this which is why we will axe this tax at the first opportunity. It is time for Labour to stop playing anti-rural ideological politics, and do the same — putting the national interest first.”
But the planned protest has been met with a warning from the Metropolitan Police, who have said farmers could be arrested if they arrive with and drive their tractors.
Conditions have been imposed under the Public Order Act preventing demonstrators from bringing tractors, other than a limited number already agreed by the organisers to demonstrate the costs of such specialist equipment, the force said.
Deputy assistant commissioner Ben Russell, who is leading the policing operation, said last month’s protest saw a “significant number of people attend with tractors and other large farming vehicles”.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that protests don’t cause serious disruption to the life of the community”, he added.
Scotland Yard warned that it is a criminal offence to breach the conditions or to incite others to do so, and that anyone doing so may face arrest.
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Olly Harrison, one of the protest’s organisers, said: “We don’t need any tractors, this is on foot. We are going to have some kit to show to the MPs to explain the levels of investment.
“We’ve sorted all that out, you just get yourself there on foot. Let’s explain the levels of investment needed in agriculture just to produce something simple like a pancake.
“More details will follow and we’ll share them as we have them but mark 4 March in your diaries.”
Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson, said: “Ministers need to finally open their ears to family farmers who are the lifeblood of our rural communities, who tend our precious landscapes and who produce food to the highest standards.
“British farmers are the best in the world. We need them now more than ever to restore nature, provide food security, tackle climate change and support the rural economy.
“The government must reverse this disastrous family farm tax and instead provide farmers with the support and funding they need to do what is best for the country and for future generations.”
Speaking to the environment, food and rural affairs select committee in November last year, Steve Reed contradicted the National Farmers Union’s (NFU) claim that the majority of farmers will now pay inheritance tax on their farms.
The environment secretary said: “I have every reason to believe that this [government] data, projections based on actual hard data, is accurate and that the vast majority of farms will not be affected by the changes to APR [agricultural property relief], which is what I’ve said.”
He added: “Assuming these projections from HMRC, validated by the OBR [Office for Budget Responsibility] and IFS [Institute for Fiscal Studies], are correct then many of them [protesting farmers], probably happily, are wrong because there are things that they can do to plan their tax affairs as most businesses or asset owners would do to limit their liability.”
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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Protesting farmers are ‘wrong’ about inheritance tax change, environment secretary says
