Two parallel farmer events will be taking place in London on Tuesday, November 19, as farmer anger over Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget grows.
The NFU will be holding a ‘mass lobbying event’ on the day, with 1,800 registered members allowed to attend three successive meetings at Church House in Westminster, followed by meetings with their individual MPs. The NFU has said that is the limit in terms of numbers that it can accommodate.
However, plans are also being developed by a group of farmers to stage a separate rally in London on the same day. Farmers Weekly reports that a group of well-known farmers, including Martin Williams from Herefordshire, Ollie Harrison from Merseyside, Clive Bailye from Staffordshire, Andrew Ward from Lincolnshire, and James Mills from Yorkshire, are organising the event.
“We had a meeting with the Metropolitan Police on Thursday [November 7] and they have given us permission to hold a rally, for all the farmers who are unable to attend the NFU event,” Mr Williams told Farmers Weekly.
“This will not be in competition with the NFU’s event, but will complement it. It is not political, but will be a chance for farmers to emphasise their worth to the public.”
Details of the second event are still to be confirmed. “It’s going to be peaceful, but it’s going to be powerful,” Mr Williams said.
People attending the two events are being encouraged make a donation to a food bank to ‘build bridges and create trust with the public’.
Anger, betrayal and despair
Many farmers across the country fear the decision to reform Agricultural Property Relief (APR), so inheritance tax at a rate of 20% applies above a £1m threshold will have a devastating impact on family farm businesses.
Ahead of debates in parliament that were due to discuss the issue on Monday, NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “Since the Budget, I’ve heard about distressed elderly parents who are having to apologise to their children in tears for something that isn’t their fault, telling them they’re sorry because they feel they’re now a burden on the family.
“I’ve heard from families who can’t see any way they can plan for a future which doesn’t result in losing their business. Men and women who’ve spent years building up farm businesses now wondering what’s the point in carrying on when it’s going to be ripped apart. “The feelings of anger, betrayal and despair are palpable.”
“The vast majority of the people who’ll bear the brunt of this family farm tax aren’t wealthy people with huge cash reserves hidden away. They are families that have often spent generations building up their farm businesses to provide food for the nation, often on very tight profit margins. They have nothing left to give.”
However, government ministers continue to stand by the policy, claiming it will not affect as many people as opponents are making out.
Farmers Weekly reports that, speaking at the Egg and Poultry Industry Conference in South Wales today (November 11), farming minister Daniel Zeichner said: “Inheritance tax is really complicated and no two situations are the same, but our genuine view is that it will not be affecting many people.
“The feedback I’ve been getting from some of my colleagues is that, when people have sat down and gone through the detail, they are then much more reassured.”
He pointed to Treasury figures which show that there were just 462 claims for APR last year, and said that figure was expected to go down.
- The NFU’s petition calling for the government to overturn changes to APR and Business Property Relief (BPR) has been signed by more than 180,000 people, surpassing its target of 150,000.