Farmers threaten ‘direct motion’ with main strikes as anger over household farm tax mounts

Farmers have warned of “direct action” amid fury over Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ family farm tax.

Some believe strikes – and the threat of empty shelves – may be needed as they try force a government U-turn over changes to death duties announced in the Budget. Others pointed to France where, in January this year, farmers sought to blockage

Paris in protest at falling incomes, environmental regulations, and red tape. It came as one industry leader warned shoppers face “dramatic” price rises.

More than 10,000 farmers and supporters descended on London to demonstrate about plans, announced in the Budget, to impose inheritance tax at 20% on agricultural assets worth more than £1million from April 2026.

The rally was largely good-natured despite the bitterly cold weather, and those attending – a sea of tweed, waxed jackets and caps – being packed into a section of Whitehall that was sectioned off until just before it started, and with a sizeable police presence. Some of those addressing the crowd gave powerful, and sometimes emotionally charged, speeches, that were met by loud applause and cheering. However, there was jeers when there was mention of the government.

Labour insists the shake-up will only affect the wealthiest 500 estates each year, and bring in £520million worth of tax, with every penny needed given the claimed £22billion black hole left by the Tories. With other allowances, it says as much as £3million could be passed on without paying inheritance tax. However, the National Farmers Union and the Country Land and Business Association have estimated up to 70,000 farms could still be affected.

The rally on Whitehall, within earshot of the Treasury, heard impassioned pleas for Ms Reeves to backtrack.

Olly Harrison, one of the organisers, owns 350 acres of arable land in Merseyside and his family has farmed in the area for 175 years. “Me and my ancestors have worked tirelessly over those years to build the farm as it is today, but I could be the last person to produce food on that land,” he told the mass crowd, stood on the back of a trailer, yards from the Cenotaph.

“The government has taken away the ability for me to pass on the family farm in a financially stable way to my three children. That makes me so angry. We all know nobody owns a farm. We pass it on to the next generation,” he said, adding “this reckless Budget has already costs lives. We farm for our children. We farm to feed the nation. We farm because it’s in our blood. And we farm because we love it.

“No-one does it for the money – there is none. Is today the beginning of the end for UK farming – or is it the beginning of some direct action?,” he said, to loud cheers.

Listening was Peter Larwood, 64, and Michael Watts, 68, farmers from Norfolk, and Ian Robertson, from Fife. All agreed that direct action could include them going on strike, potentially preventing produce leaving their farms, and despite contract commitments they have. “This has been the last straw,” Mr Robertson said. Mr Watts called the inheritance tax change, without consultation, a “stitch up”.

Farmer Richard Wainwright, 58, from Halifax, West Yorkshire, said: “We are talking about possibly striking. I hope it doesn’t come to that because that’s seriously going to impact the food chain.”

Fifth generation farmer and mother-of-three Clare Wise, from County Durham, said: “I will protect my farm with every breath today, tomorrow, and however long it takes to stop this.”

Tom Bradshaw, President of the National Farmers Union, said: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the industry this angry, this disillusioned, this upset”, calling the Budget changes a “stab in the back”. He refused to spell out publicly how he thought the row could be resolved, but said: “I’ve given a heartfelt plea to the Chancellor to sit down with me so that we can sort this policy out.” The inheritance tax changes come after a series of other cost hikes and 18 months of dire weather for farmers. “The impact on retail prices is going to have to be dramatic,” Mr Bradshaw claimed.

Neil Stewart, 54, and wife Julie, 48, farm around 500 acres in Angus, Scotland, and left at 3am yesterday to travel to London. Despite owning assets on paper worth £4.5million, they said their profit – what they take to live on – is just £27,000 a year. Under the changes, their children would face an inheritance bill of around £1million. “Family is the foundation of the country,” said Mrs Stewart, who warned her children faced having to sell a large chunk of the farm to have any prospect of continuing.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “This Labour Government has just allocated £5billion to support sustainable food production in the UK. That’s the biggest budget of that kind in our country’s history and it shows that we’re backing farmers. All of that shows farmers that this is a government on their side and the changes to inheritance tax will affect only around 500 farms. The vast majority of farmers will pay nothing more.”

Celebrity Jeremy Clarkson, who bought a farm five years ago which now features in a hit TV series, told the crowd: “I know a lot of people across the country in all walks of life took a bit of a kick on the shin with that Budget. You lot got a knee in the nuts and a hammer blow to the back of the head.” He added: “For the sake of everybody here, and for all the farmers stuck at home paralysed by a fog of despair over what’s been foisted on them, I beg of the Government to be big and accept this was rushed through, it wasn’t thought out and it was a mistake.

“That’s the big thing to do, and back down.”