Hundreds of farmers drove tractors into central London, blocking major roads to protest Labour’s controversial inheritance tax changes. The No Farmers, No Food campaign gathered an estimated 500 tractors near Whitehall on Wednesday, demanding the government reverse plans that they say will devastate family farms. Protest organizers vowed to escalate actions if Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s administration does not relent.
Labour’s inheritance tax policy targets farms valued at £1 million or more, removing an exemption established in 1984. By 2026, such farms could face a 20% tax, a move the government claims will primarily affect wealthy individuals using farms for tax avoidance. However, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) estimates 60% of farms could be impacted, forcing many families to sell land to cover tax bills. Smaller farms, already struggling with financial viability, are particularly at risk.
Farmers argue the policy threatens Britain’s agricultural industry and food security. Phil Cookes, a third-generation farmer, attended the protest with his family, warning that his £3 million, 200-acre farm would be subject to the tax if his father passed away. “My dad can’t afford to die while Labour is in power,” Cookes told The Times. He explained his family would face no choice but to sell off land.
Labour officials, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves, assert the tax is necessary to address a £22 billion budget deficit, which they attribute to prior Conservative leadership. Farmers, however, accuse Labour of breaking promises made to the NFU before the election. Former Home Secretary James Cleverly expressed solidarity with the protesters, saying Labour’s policy will harm UK farming families and rural communities.
Protesters warned that food supply disruptions could follow if the government does not reverse its stance. Dairy farmer Charles Goadby called the protest “just the beginning” of a larger fight.
