Farmer and TV personality Gareth Wyn Jones has slammed the government’s inheritance tax policy on GB News, warning it threatens Britain’s food production.
The outspoken Welsh farmer expressed deep concern that politicians are endangering the nation’s food security.
His criticism comes ahead of a planned Pancake Day protest on March 4, where farmers will march through central London.
The demonstration targets the controversial scrapping of inheritance tax relief for farms valued over £1m.
Gareth Wyn Jones warned empty shelves are inevitable after Labour’s tax raid
GBNEWS / PA
“These people don’t care about the farmers and the people feeding the nation every day,” Jones told GB News.
“They won’t recognise the importance of us until those supermarket shelves start to go empty. It’s sad.”
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He warned that farmers would need to recover costs somewhere.
“If this government had an inch of common sense, they would realise farmers are going to have to claw this back somewhere. Where will they? It’s the products they produce, food.”
Jones spoke emotionally about his personal situation.
“It’s a scary time to be in this job. You’ve seen how hard we work. My dad is nearly 89 and he hasn’t handed everything over.”
Gareth Wyn Jones joined Michael Portillo and Anne Diamond on GB News
GB NEWS
The farmer expressed heartbreak over the policy.
“It’s breaking my heart these people are doing what they are. I don’t mind working 365 days a year and producing food, but this is what we need to get out to the public.”
He added: “We need the Government to understand no farmers, no food and there will be no future.”
The Pancake Day protest on March 4 will be the latest action in farmers’ campaign against the tax changes.
Organisers promise the rally will be “bigger and better” than their November event.
The march will begin at midday on Whitehall, proceeding through Trafalgar Square and into Parliament Square.
Protesters will then return to Whitehall for the conclusion at 3pm.
The demonstration aims to show farmers’ determination to fight the tax proposal.
Farmers protesting in London PA
The controversial tax change would remove inheritance tax relief for farms valued over £1m.
This could leave many farming families facing 20 per cent tax bills described as “crippling”.
Farmers have called the impact “catastrophic” on their businesses and livelihoods.
Jones criticised the financial reasoning behind the policy.
“The money they are getting off us is peanuts for them and they are sending it abroad to produce money for us,” he said.
Organisers have asked farmers to attend the protest on foot.
They should not bring machinery or livestock to the demonstration.
Equipment will be displayed at the event to highlight farmers’ investment levels.