Rural Labour MPs are set to face a fresh wave of protests next month as farmers escalate their campaign against inheritance tax changes.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has announced a national day of action on January 25th, with demonstrations planned across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, reports The Times.
Farming groups will organise tractor rallies in various locations away from Westminster, specifically targeting Labour MPs in marginal rural constituencies.
The protests mark an intensification of farmers’ opposition to tax changes introduced in Rachel Reeves’s October budget.
Farmers protesting in Whitehall
PA
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said farmers would not back down from fighting the “destructive” policy.
“There is too much at risk – our families, our future, our heritage and the undermining of the very sector that produces a safe, secure supply of British food,” he said. Roadside banners will be put up along main roads to catch MPs’ attention as they travel over Christmas.
The January 25th protests aim to show “unity and strength” among farmers across the UK. Bradshaw thanked the public for their “ongoing support” in the campaign against what farmers are calling the “family farm tax”.
Under the changes announced in the budget, farms worth more than £1 million will face inheritance tax for the first time.m The policy introduces a 20 per cent levy on farming assets above this threshold, rather than the standard 40 per cent inheritance tax rate.
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President of the National Farmers’ Union Tom Bradshaw has organised a ‘mass lobby’ of MPs on November 19GB NewsFarming groups say the tax could devastate family businesses and risks creating a mental health crisis among older farmers.
The NFU warns that many older farmers may not be able to utilise the existing provision that allows estates to be handed down tax-free if the owner lives for another seven years.
Local authorities across Britain have passed motions opposing the tax changes, putting pressure on Labour MPs in rural areas.
Twenty-two councils, including those in Cornwall, Kent, and Norfolk, have voted against the policy in recent weeks. The rebellion has left many newly-elected Labour MPs at odds with their local authorities and rural constituents.
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A government spokesman said the changes to agricultural and business property relief would affect about 500 estates a year.
The spokesman told The Times: “For these estates, inheritance tax will be at half the rate paid by others, with ten years to pay the liability back interest-free.
“This is a fair and balanced approach which fixes the public services we all rely on.”The spokesman added that ministers’ support for farmers was “steadfast”, with £5 billion committed to the farming budget over the next two years.