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Farmers convey their tractors on to the streets throughout Britain as they step up marketing campaign towards Keir Starmer’s inheritance tax seize

Farmers have taken their tractors to the streets as they step up their campaign against Keir Starmer‘s inheritance tax grab.

Fury has spread against the plans following protests last year, with works saying the new measures would ‘decimate’ the country’s agricultural sector.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has now urged its members to make themselves heard – as they take food, machinery and livestock to town centres across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

In a so-called National Day of Unity they could be seen winding along busy highstreets and city centres, with huge tractors plastered with slogans.

It comes after a petition signed by more than 270,000 members of the public was handed in to 10 Downing Street on Friday by NFU president Tom Bradshaw and NFU Cymru president Aled Jones.

The decree urges the Government to ditch what they described as the ‘devastating family farm tax’.

Rachel Hallos, a livestock farmer from the South Pennines and the vice president of the NFU, said she hoped the events will ‘raise awareness’ of the impact of the planned reforms to inheritance tax for farming businesses, and push the Government to review its decision.

Speaking on her way to an event in Chester, Cheshire, Ms Hallos said: ‘The inheritance tax changes from the Budget will ultimately decimate what we’ve currently got in this country, and we’re really worried about it.

SELBY: Tractors are parked outside Selby Abbey during the Farmer's Day of Unity demonstration

SELBY: Tractors are parked outside Selby Abbey during the Farmer’s Day of Unity demonstration

SELBY: Tractors dressed with slogans against Starmer's tax set off to drive through the streets of Selby

SELBY: Tractors dressed with slogans against Starmer’s tax set off to drive through the streets of Selby

LEAMINGTON SPA: Farmers drive tractors along the Parade as the protest against changes to inheritance tax rules

LEAMINGTON SPA: Farmers drive tractors along the Parade as the protest against changes to inheritance tax rules 

LISBURN CO ANTRIM: Farmers gather in tractors at the Maze site for one of seven protest tractor runs across Northern Ireland

LISBURN CO ANTRIM: Farmers gather in tractors at the Maze site for one of seven protest tractor runs across Northern Ireland

CAMBRIDGE: Protesters take part in a day of action across Britain organised by the NFU and other farming unions

CAMBRIDGE: Protesters take part in a day of action across Britain organised by the NFU and other farming unions

ROCHESTER: Local farmers park their tractors in a Morrisons car park before their protest begins

ROCHESTER: Local farmers park their tractors in a Morrisons car park before their protest begins

Ministers have insisted their action - dubbed the 'family farm tax' - will only affect the wealthiest quarter of landowners. Pictured: Starmer during a visit to National Farmers' Union president Minette Batters' farm in Wiltshire in 2020

Ministers have insisted their action – dubbed the ‘family farm tax’ – will only affect the wealthiest quarter of landowners. Pictured: Starmer during a visit to National Farmers’ Union president Minette Batters’ farm in Wiltshire in 2020

‘Today is about telling people why we are so concerned, trying to explain how complicated the food supply chain is, because it really is, and that farmers are at the beginning of that food supply chain.

‘We completely appreciate that a lot of members of the general public will say, ‘Oh for goodness sake, you’re alright in your big farmhouses, all this lamb that you own…’

‘But the reality is, those are our assets, we never sell them.

‘So it’s complicated, and we’re just trying to shed a light on it for some members of the public who don’t quite understand why we’re making so much noise about this.’

Ministers have insisted their action – dubbed the ‘family farm tax’ – will only affect the wealthiest quarter of landowners.

But the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and others say the impact of Ms Reeves’ measures will be much more widespread. 

Critics claim the move could wipe out family-run farms with tight margins, as they will be forced to sell up in order to pay death duties.

Ms Hallos added: ‘We genuinely don’t believe that the Government understands the complexity of what it is that happens in the countryside and how entwined all those rural businesses are.

In a so-called National Day of Unity they could be seen winding along busy highstreets and city centres, with huge tractors plastered with slogan. Pictured: With Selby abbey in the background

In a so-called National Day of Unity they could be seen winding along busy highstreets and city centres, with huge tractors plastered with slogan. Pictured: With Selby abbey in the background

Critics claim the move could wipe out family-run farms with tight margins, as they will be forced to sell up in order to pay death duties

Critics claim the move could wipe out family-run farms with tight margins, as they will be forced to sell up in order to pay death duties

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) and others say the impact of Ms Reeves' measures will be  widespread

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and others say the impact of Ms Reeves’ measures will be  widespread

A farmer drives through Selby in his tractor with a mock headstone on the front reading 'RIP UK food'

A farmer drives through Selby in his tractor with a mock headstone on the front reading ‘RIP UK food’

Another driver travels through Selby with a wooden sign telling people to 'honk if you're hungry'

Another driver travels through Selby with a wooden sign telling people to ‘honk if you’re hungry’

A youngster sits in the cab of a tractor as they set off to drive through the streets of Selby

A youngster sits in the cab of a tractor as they set off to drive through the streets of Selby

‘They all rely on each other. It’s a little bit like a deck of cards – if you pull one of those cards out, the whole thing comes tumbling down.

‘And the fact that the entire industry has come together with such strength and such clarity, and for the Government to disregard that and not want to sit at the table and talk about this is quite remarkable.

‘Food and environment just doesn’t seem to be important to this Government.’

Latest figure revealed that farmers are barely receiving a penny profit on the produce they sell.

A four pack of beef burgers (350g) costs in your local super market around £3.50, and it only cost the farmer 90p, however they only make a 1p profit.

Similarly a 480g pack of cheddar a supermarket will charge £2.50 but it costs dairy farmer £1.48 to produce and they make less than a penny in profit.

A supermarket will charge 45p for a kilo of carrots, it costs a farmer 14p to produce and they make no profit on the selling price.

The government has come under further pressure this week after supermarkets also called for a rethink of the family farm tax.

Tractors set off to drive through the streets of Selby as farmers participate in a Farming Day of Unity

Tractors set off to drive through the streets of Selby as farmers participate in a Farming Day of Unity

It comes after a petition signed by more than 270,000 members of the public was handed in to 10 Downing Street on Friday by NFU president Tom Bradshaw and NFU Cymru president Aled Jones

It comes after a petition signed by more than 270,000 members of the public was handed in to 10 Downing Street on Friday by NFU president Tom Bradshaw and NFU Cymru president Aled Jones

The decree urges the Government to ditch what they described as the 'devastating family farm tax'

The decree urges the Government to ditch what they described as the ‘devastating family farm tax’

A man stands with a placard as he shows support as farmers hold a Farming Day of Unity in Selby

A man stands with a placard as he shows support as farmers hold a Farming Day of Unity in Selby

: A youngster is dwarfed by a tractor wheel at a static display in Selby town centre

: A youngster is dwarfed by a tractor wheel at a static display in Selby town centre

Nine major food retailers – Waitrose, Ocado, Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, the Co-op, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons – are now in opposition to tax changes to inheritance rules – which farmers say will force many farms to be broken up.

Referring to the petition handed in to 10 Downing Street on Friday, Ms Hallos said: ‘We’ve already seen huge public support.

‘We want to grow that support with our customers, because these are our customers, and hopefully the Government finally realises that they need to sit down and have a conversation with us.

‘Let’s work this out between us – let’s find out what to do, what to achieve out of this, and we’ll help them achieve that without causing that disaster to the food supply chain.’

Earlier this week the shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins called on the Government to measure the number of farmers dying by suicide to ‘understand the human cost’ of the Government’s changes to inheritance tax on agricultural land urged the Government to commit to ‘a full and proper review of this dreadful policy’.

The National Farmers’ Union has warned that some farmers may commit suicide to avoid their heirs being hit with 20 per cent inheritance tax.

But Treasury minister James Murray said the Government’s plans to impose 20 per cent inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 million is a ‘fair approach’, with current relief on business and agricultural assets ‘heavily skewed towards the wealthiest estates’. 

Next month, MPs are set to hold another debate over the impact of the family farm tax, after a petition – ‘Don’t change inheritance tax relief for working farms’ – reached over 100,000 signatures.

A pedestrian makes a thumbs-up gesture as farmers drive tractors along the Parade in Leamington Spa

A pedestrian makes a thumbs-up gesture as farmers drive tractors along the Parade in Leamington Spa

Local farmers park their tractors in a Morrisons car park in Rochester

Local farmers park their tractors in a Morrisons car park in Rochester

Farmers gather in tractors at the Maze site and cover them in posters close to Lisburn, Co Antrim

Farmers gather in tractors at the Maze site and cover them in posters close to Lisburn, Co Antrim

The Farming Day of Unity brought together farmers from across the UK to participate in events in town centres. Pictured: In Selby

The Farming Day of Unity brought together farmers from across the UK to participate in events in town centres. Pictured: In Selby

A battered placard is displayed on a tractor as farmers hold a Farming Day of Unity

A battered placard is displayed on a tractor as farmers hold a Farming Day of Unity

A badge adorns a jacket of a farmer as local farmers park their tractors in a Morrisons car park in Rochester

A badge adorns a jacket of a farmer as local farmers park their tractors in a Morrisons car park in Rochester

The House of Commons petitions committee has agreed that a debate on the subject will take place on February 10 at 4:30pm.

Thirty local councils, including Cornwall, Suffolk and Northumberland, have also voted through motions condemning the policy.    

A spokesperson for the NFU said Saturday’s events, in places including Cambridge, Warwick and Selby in North Yorkshire, were about ‘visibility’.

The spokesperson said: ‘It’s about going out to the public in the town centres and thanking them for their support, encouraging them to keep supporting farming.

‘The visibility is about a reminder that the problem is still there.’

They added: ‘We want the chance to meet and discuss, and review the decisions that she (Chancellor Rachel Reeves) has made.’

A Government spokesperson said: ‘Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast.

‘This Government will invest £5 billion into farming over the next two years, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history.

Lines of tractors arrived at the site of the former Maze Prison on Saturday to take part in the two Co Down routes, many bearing posters which read Save Our Family Farms and UFU flags

Lines of tractors arrived at the site of the former Maze Prison on Saturday to take part in the two Co Down routes, many bearing posters which read Save Our Family Farms and UFU flags

They left to cover two routes, one along the busy A1 road to Banbridge, and the other to Saintfield. Processions also took place in counties Armagh, Antrim, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Londonderry

They left to cover two routes, one along the busy A1 road to Banbridge, and the other to Saintfield. Processions also took place in counties Armagh, Antrim, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Londonderry

Speaking at the Maze site, UFU chief executive Wesley Aston said they were stepping up their action after a protest event at the same place in November

Speaking at the Maze site, UFU chief executive Wesley Aston said they were stepping up their action after a protest event at the same place in November

‘We are going further with reforms to boost profits for farmers by backing British produce and reforming planning rules on farms to support food production.

‘Our reform to Agricultural and Business Property Relief will mean estates will pay a reduced effective inheritance tax rate of 20%, rather than standard 40%, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free.

‘This is a fair and balanced approach, which fixes the public services we all rely on, affecting around 500 estates a year.’

Seven protest runs took place across all six counties of Northern Ireland, organised by the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU), including two in Co Down. 

Lines of tractors arrived at the site of the former Maze Prison on Saturday to take part in the two Co Down routes, many bearing posters which read Save Our Family Farms and UFU flags.

They left to cover two routes, one along the busy A1 road to Banbridge, and the other to Saintfield. Processions also took place in counties Armagh, Antrim, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Londonderry.

Speaking at the Maze site, UFU chief executive Wesley Aston said they were stepping up their action after a protest event at the same place in November.

He said the new rules the Government is proposing on inheritance tax will mean huge bills for the next generation of farmers, which will risk the viability of family farms in the future.

‘This is another step to highlight the concern we have and let the general public know how impactful this will be, not only to farmers but food security going forward,’ he said.

‘We are doing our bit in Northern Ireland but this is part of a UK-wide activity and plan of action so that the Government will actually start engaging with us as farmers to look at this issue.’

He said they want to send a strong message to the Government that this is a huge issue for the farming community, their level of concern, and urging to listen to them.

He said future action will be taken if deemed necessary.