Campaign group Farmers For Action has warned ministers of protests unless the Chancellor cuts tax on red diesel used for tractors after similar action in Ireland forces the government to cut fuel duty
Farmers have threatened to block Britain’s roads unless Rachel Reeves brings down fuel costs. Huge disruptions were reported today in Northern Ireland, where tractors have blocked major routes around Belfast ahead of eight major planned protests.
And campaigners have warned ministers of widespread protests across the UK unless the Chancellor cuts tax on red diesel used for tractors. It comes after protests in Ireland crippled the country last week, forcing Dublin to send in the army.
William Taylor, Farmers For Action co-ordinator, said his organisation had been asked to consider “UK-wide tax and fuel protests”. He said: “The tipping point is clear. Farming businesses, haulage businesses, all businesses are on the rack.
“And this fuel issue has really put the cat amongst the pigeons. With respect to all those businesses, we have made it clear that we are considering protesting. In the meantime, we have gone to government and said ‘meet us’, ‘talk to us’, we have the solutions.
“Listen to us, just listen. Now if this doesn’t play out over the next two weeks – and also depending what happens with Trump’s agenda – then our decisions will go forward.”
Ireland announced tax cuts yesterday (April 13) after protests brought the road network in the country to its knees. A vote of confidence in the Irish government will be held shortly after the Dail reconvenes following the Easter break.
In the UK, eight protests are planned to go ahead from 2pm on Tuesday (April 14) in Northern Ireland as the group demands the Chancellor cut the price of red diesel, which has soared to 135p per litre since the Iran war broke out, up from 60p per litre before the conflict.
Mr Taylor, who farms in Northern Ireland, told the Telegraph: “There is no common sense to this tax rise, absolutely none.” He added that “the Government would do well to remember what happened last time”, a reference to protests in 2000 when farmers blockaded six of the country’s largest refineries.
Clive Bailye, founder of the Farming Forum, said discussions were taking place “in the background” about what potential action could look like, but stressed that reluctance to take action remained high.
He told Farmers Weekly: “Some people have been asking why British farmers have not been staging their own fuel protests, like their counterparts in the EU or Ireland. The truth is that the rules are different since the Just Stop Oil protests and if the government believes that protests are a risk to national infrastructure and the economy, the police can arrest you.
“There is quite a bit of talk on our forum about it. It seems it is being led more by hauliers than farmers, as they have been haemorrhaging money with the fuel price increases at the pump. It could be that farmers get involved at a later stage.
“It’s not the case that British farmers are not struggling or are not at breaking point. It’s more that they don’t want to be sent to prison.”
Fuel duty is currently on course to rise by 5p in September and a 1p per litre cut to the levy would cost the Chancellor about £480m, economist Simon French said.
Matching the cut in Ireland, where fuel duty is being reduced by €0.10 per litre, would set the Treasury back by around £4.3bn – equivalent to a 1p-2p increase in income tax.
Ms Reeves rejected calls to cut fuel duty earlier this month, saying: “If I promised that I could alleviate every price increase for every person, I wouldn’t be telling the truth because all that you will be doing if you do that is pushing up inflation, interest rates and taxes in the future.”
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