‘Festival feel’ as farmers refuse to back down on IHT
© MAG Thousands of fed-up farmers have descended on London to send a defiant message to the heart of government – “we won’t back down” in the fight to reverse farm inheritance tax (IHT).
An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 farmers and their supporters flocked to the capital on Tuesday 4 March for a Pancake Day Rally – the latest protest against the government’s farm IHT plans and other anti-farming policies.
The protest was organised by the same group of farmers who organised the mass London Farming Rally in November – Olly Harrison, Martin Williams, Andrew Ward and Clive Bailye.
See also: Half of UK farms face closure from IHT hike, survey finds
Unlike the previous IHT protests in the capital, which took place in chilly wintry conditions, farmers basked in glorious sunshine and the rally took on more of a festival feel.
Music played a big part in this protest.
The organisers hired a loud sound system which was driven round the streets of Westminster on the back of a trailer, belting out hits with a theme of defiance and standing up against authority.
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Tom Petty’s 1989 hit “I Won’t Back Down” was the mainstay of the rally. As farmers marched around Westminster, in the shadows of the Houses of Parliament, they chanted “We won’t back down! We won’t back down!”.
Several prominent Conservative MPs, including shadow Defra minister Victoria Atkins, and shadow farming minister Robbie Moore were at the front of the march holding a banner which read: “IS AGRICULTURE WORTH DYING FOR?”
The Fleetwood Mac 1988 hit, “Little Lies”, was also belted out on several occasions – a direct reference to prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, who previously promised that his party would not introduce farm IHT if they won power.
Speeches
At 2pm, leaders from all four main farming unions and Victoria Vyvyan, president of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), mounted Mr Harrison’s Claas Lexion 8700 combine to address the crowd.
William Irvine, president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), described farm IHT as a “sinister tax” which will seriously impact 80% of farmland in Northern Ireland, which is grazed by 90% of its dairy cows and 80% of its beef herd.
“That’s going to destroy the rural heart of Northern Ireland,” he said. “Agriculture is such a central part of our economy and it’s going to wreck the UK food security.”
NFU Scotland president Andrew Connon warned: “The inheritance tax changes will have a catastrophic effect for farmers up and down the UK.
“We cannot give up on this. It’s not just about farming and farming families, it’s about the rural communities, the supply chain, the human impact as well.”
NFU Cymru president Aled Jones paid tribute to the countless farmers across the UK who could not be present, because they were busy producing food for the nation.
“There are so many people across the UK who realise the importance of the production of home-produced quality food,” he said.
Mr Jones urged farmers to “stay strong, stay united”.
“I think our arguments are winning. And we have a good argument,” he said. “For the wellbeing of future generations coming after us, we have to fight, we have to stay strong.”
CLA president Mrs Vyvyan accused the government of orchestrating a “ram raid” on UK agriculture, of “mugging” farmers of their money by imposing farm IHT on them.
Investment
Mr Harrison explained the large amount of investment farmers need to create a single pancake that MPs will consume today, costing as little as 40p each.
He named each piece of farm machinery on display, including a beet harvester, a forage harvester, two JCBS and a combine harvester, and their roles in producing the raw ingredients used to make a pancake.
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Mr Harrison encouraged everyone to sign an upcoming online petition which seeks an “amnesty” for elderly and sick farm owners to transfer down their farms or assets over the next 12 months without the threat of having to pay IHT.
He said farmers will also be working hard in the background to try and urge the government to increase the £1m threshold for farm IHT.
The UK government insists that its farm IHT policy is “fair and balanced”, maintaining that it “will only affect around 500 estates a year”.