Norfolk farmers have joined thousands from across the country in London today to make their voices heard against the government's "devastating" inheritance tax raid.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves sparked fury among farming communities by announcing that agricultural property relief (APR) would be cut for farm assets worth over £1m - leaving family businesses facing a crippling 20pc tax bill when handing land down to future generations.
Today sees the largest display of industry anger to date, with large crowds at a rally which started at 11am at Richmond Terrace in Whitehall, opposite Downing Street.
Farming leaders, politicians and celebrities including TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson joined the event.
Organisers told protestors not bring their farm machinery, but some did take tractors to the capital.
Meanwhile, at the same time, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) held a separate mass lobby of MPs with 1,800 of its members at the Church House conference centre in Westminster, where farmers asked their MPs to "look them in the eye" and tell them whether they support changes outlined in last week's budget.
The farming contingent travelling down the A11 from Norfolk included a coach-load of 50 people organised by Norfolk farmer David Hill, which departed from his family farm at Bradenham, near Dereham, at 7.30 this morning, heading for the rally.
Farmers on the coach from Norfolk included Graham Shadrack, who farms near Attleborough and will take over as the Norfolk chairman of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) in February.
He said: "I am really proud to see all walks of life here, all types of farm, all age groups.
"This is about the future of our industry. We get out of bed seven days a week to produce food and we have been so good at it, perhaps it has been forgotten what we go through to put food on the shelves."
Alongside him was former Norfolk NFU chairman Francis Ulrych, from Griston, who said: "it is very important to be a part of this today. It is such a major problem that the industry has got.
"Farming has been pushed through a lot of hoops lately, but this is the straw that is breaking the camel’s back. It will push most farms into financial difficulty as it changes hands to the next generation."
Shipdham farmer Chris Eglington travelled to London in a new fleece embroidered with the slogan Save Family Farms.
He said: "I have never been on any protest march before, or even go to London, hardly.
"It is the countryside I’m worried about - farmers are just a part of it.
"If the farmers go then everything else is going to go.
"I am amazed to see how much support there seems to be from the general public on social media, and I hope that’s what we see today."
Hannah Howell, 19, whose family farms at Bintree near Fakenham, is also chairman of Swaffham Young Farmers' Club (YFC).
She said: "We think it (the tax change) is disgusting. If anything, farming should be the most supported job role in Britain, not have things taken away from us.
"It is such a struggle already. People are up at night worrying about money even before this, so we don't need this added on as well.
"It is not fair on anyone. It is not fair for the rest of the country either, they will end up suffering as well."
She added: "I know I would much prefer my food to be British as much as possible, but if this continues then it won't be, which I don't think is good in any way.
"It means a lot to me to be here. My mum has been on a similar march in London, so the fact that I am doing it now is quite important to me.
"Farming, especially Young Farmers, is such a community in itself so to come together in such a wide range is huge really, and it is not something that happens very often."
Norfolk farmer David Cross, his wife Kathryn and sons Rufus, 17, and Barney, 13, are also on their way down to London for the protest.
Mrs Cross said: "It’s important for us to be in Westminster today to show solidarity with other family farmers and try to explain that farmers may have broad shoulders physically but they don’t have broad shoulders financially with most working below the minimum wage for a deep seated responsibility as guardians of the countryside and putting food on the nation’s plates.
"There are far more farmers affected by this than the government realises. It is not targeting just the super rich."
Mrs Cross added: "Our assets are intrinsically connected to the work we do and even some 100 acre farms easily breach the £1million threshold due to stock, buildings, machinery, pensions etc which are all taken into account. Without the assets farming simply doesn’t function. Children grow up learning about their farms and the sacrifices that are needed to make them work and without that generation being able to take them forward we lose the vital stewardship this country relies on to put British food on the shelves."
The EDP's "Fair deal for farmers" campaign is calling for ministers to scrap the policy, which would force many family farms - already struggling with the impacts of high costs, dwindling subsidies and extreme weather - to sell off land to pay death duties.
The government has defended the changes. Environment secretary Steve Reed said the “fair and balanced” measures would only affect 500 estates a year, and small family farms would not be hit.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer also said he was “absolutely confident the vast majority of farms and farmers will not be affected” by the tax changes.
But farmers have challenged the Treasury figures, pointing instead to Defra data suggesting 66pc of farm businesses are worth more than the £1m threshold at which inheritance tax will now need to be paid.
The NFU says "very few viable farms are worth under £1m", which it adds "could buy 50 acres and a house today".
In a joint statement, Ms Reeves and Mr Reed said: "Farmers are the backbone of Britain, and we recognise the strength of feeling expressed by farming and rural communities in recent weeks.
"We are steadfast in our commitment to Britain's farming industry because food security is national security.
"It's why we are investing £5bn into farming over the next two years - the largest amount ever directed towards sustainable food production, rural economic growth and nature's recovery in our country's history.
"But with public services crumbling and a £22bn fiscal hole that this government inherited, we have taken difficult decisions.
"The reforms to agricultural property relief ensure that wealthiest estates and the most valuable farms pay their fair share to invest in our schools and health services that farmers and families in rural communities rely on."
Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe was among politicians who joined the London protestors.
The Reform UK MP, who owns a farm in Gloucestershire, posted on X, formerly Twitter: "What a day for it. Thousands here, more coming all the time. We won't go quietly."
Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk, Steffan Aquarone attended the NFU lobbying event.
He said: "The family farm tax has left too many farmers in North Norfolk with uncertain futures, and I am calling on government to reverse this tax and give farmers their livelihoods back.
“The family farm tax shows that government has a complete lack of understanding of the British farming sector, and the impact on the next generation of farmers is devastating. This tax must be reversed if our farming industry is going to survive.
"Our local farmers deserve a fair deal, for years they have been forced to endure cuts to their incomes due to the Conservative Party’s neglect of rural communities.
"This tax is yet another blow to an already crippled industry and I am standing with farmers to fight back.
"The real problem here is the land-banking billionaires who buy up farmland to avoid inheritance tax.
"The family farm tax won't solve this issue, meanwhile family farmers who we rely on to produce our food are left to suffer."
“I urge the chancellor to urgently reverse course, scrap the family farm tax and take up the Liberal Democrat proposals to give farmers an additional £1bn a year in support."
Updates will follow later today.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel