Farmers Protest Inheritance Tax Reforms in London, Citing Government “Betrayal”

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has leveled an accusation of “betrayal” against the government as thousands of demonstrators convene in London for a rally opposing proposed modifications to inheritance tax regulations for agricultural properties. “To launch a policy this destructive without speaking to anyone involved in farming beggars belief,” NFU President Tom Bradshaw is scheduled to state in an address on Tuesday. According to the recent Budget announcement, agricultural properties previously exempt, valued over £1m, will be subject to an inheritance tax of 20% – which is half the standard 40% rate – commencing in April 2026. “This budget has just ripped the heart out of us because I know my son will not be able to pay the inheritance tax,” Gloucestershire livestock farmer David Barton informed the BBC. His 400-cattle operation is estimated to be worth approximately £5m, and the proposed changes to inheritance tax might result in his son incurring an £800,000 charge. He is contemplating transferring ownership of his estate as a gift, a move that would exempt it from inheritance tax if his death does not occur within a seven-year timeframe; however, he expressed concern about not being financially capable of ceasing employment. “The people they probably want to target will end up with my farm. That’s the reality – someone with a lot of money will buy this farm,” he stated. “For ministers to stand up and say this is good for farmers like me, for agriculture, they are chucking petrol onto a rather hot fire at the moment.” The NFU has convened 1,800 of its members in London for a large-scale lobbying effort targeting Members of Parliament – three times the number originally planned – with the aim of persuading backbench MPs to obstruct the government’s proposals. Concurrently, a more substantial gathering, for which organizers report over 10,000 registrations, is taking place at Richmond Terrace and will reportedly feature addresses from speakers such as the farmer and broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson. The co-organiser of that rally, Staffordshire farmer Clive Bailye, informed the BBC that the event was organized as a non-violent protest and enjoyed public backing. However, he cautioned that certain farmers might resort to more confrontational forms of protest in the future. “They are at a point now where they have nothing to lose and they have got the infrastructure behind them to be able to cause a lot of problems,” he clarified. Victoria Atkins, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, stated that Labour had presented a “budget of broken promises” that was “killing British farming”. “Farmers can be asset rich, but cash poor,” she informed the BBC’s Today Programme. “They are not in it for the money – it’s a 365-day responsibility.” Previously, the government estimated that only 500 of the United Kingdom’s most affluent landowners would be impacted by the change – a statistic that the Liberal Democrats dismissed as “utter rubbish”. “The only way that people can pay the inheritance is get rid of the farm – so corporates buy it,” Tim Farron, the party’s spokesperson for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, conveyed to BBC Breakfast. “It’s cruel, it’s unfair, it’s also incredibly stupid”. The NFU has cited data from the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra), indicating that 49% of English farms possess a net worth exceeding £1.5m, and projects that as many as 70,000 farms nationwide might be impacted. A spokesperson for the government affirmed an understanding of the apprehensions regarding the tax changes but maintained that “the majority of those claiming relief will not be affected by these changes”. “This is a fair and balanced approach that protects the family farm while also fixing the public services that we all rely on,” the spokesperson further stated. The government has additionally indicated that by combining tax reliefs and exemptions, individuals, based on their specific situations, could potentially transfer up to £3m without incurring inheritance tax. It also mentioned that any inheritance tax liability could be settled through payments spread across a 10-year duration.