Farmers in London to protest ‘family farm tax raid’
Thousands of frustrated farmers from across the UK are gathering in London for a mass rally to protest the government’ s controversial plans to introduce a 20% inheritance tax on agricultural assets.
The event, which will see farmers from all corners of the country converge on the capital, was organised to voice their deep concern over the proposed changes to Inheritance Tax (IHT), which are set to take effect in April 2026.
The new measure, part of the government’s broader autumn Budget reform, is aimed at reducing tax breaks on agricultural property worth more than £1m.
See also: London Farming Rally: What you need to know
The London Farming Rally, which takes place on Tuesday 19 November near Richmond Terrace on Whitehall, directly opposite Downing Street, will be a powerful display of unity.
Farmers are arriving in their droves, some holding signs that read “Save Our Farms” and “No Farm Tax”.
The protesters are united in their belief that the tax changes would devastate family-run businesses, threaten food security, and undermine the long-term sustainability of the agricultural sector.
Speakers at the rally include NFU president Tom Bradshaw, who is expected to deliver an impassioned address outlining the potential consequences of the proposed tax on farming communities.
Mr Bradshaw will argue that the proposed 20% inheritance tax on farm assets over £1m will devastate smaller family-run farms, many of which are already struggling with low profit margins and rising operational costs.
The NFU leader is expected to warn that the changes could lead to mass closures of family farms, as future generations would be unable to afford the significant tax bills on inherited agricultural property.
NFU mass lobby
The NFU is also hosting a mass lobby of MPs involving 1,800 farmer-members at Church House in Westminster, which starts at 9am.
Farmers Weekly understands that the NFU will publish new figures from an unnamed farm business consultancy which will set out the devastating impact of the IHT reforms on farm businesses.
The new analysis will call into question the Treasury’s claims that the reforms will affect less than 500 farms a year.
The NFU argues that the changes will hit much more broadly, with 76% of UK farm assets potentially subject to the new tax.
At the mass lobby, Mr Bradshaw will focus on four areas in his address:
- Treasury IHT estimates do not reflect the reality on the ground and will massively affect more farms.
- “If you make a promise, then keep it.” Ahead of the election, the Labour Party made repeated assurances that it would not make changes to inheritance tax related to agricultural assets
- Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) are not tax loopholes, but are policies designed to ensure family farms stay in business so they can produce the nation’s food
- “Food security is national security.” The Labour government will be challenged to deliver on this pre-election pledge.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the industry this angry, this disillusioned and this upset,” Mr Bradshaw is expected to say. “And given what we’ve had to be angry about in recent years that’s saying something.”
The majority of MPs that are expected to attend the NFU rally at Church House will be from the opposition.
NFU farmer-members have already been meeting their MPs to voice their concerns about the proposed IHT reforms, with meetings taking place in parliament and at other nearby locations.
After the mass lobby, many NFU farmer-members will be heading to Richmond Terrace (What3Words fresh.butter.grapes) to take part in the independent London Farmers Rally, which will include speeches from industry leaders, TV personalities and political figures, all supporting the cause of family farms.
The rally will feature a poignant procession to Parliament Square, with children driving toy tractors – a symbol of the threat the Budget poses to future farming generations.
The procession will then return to Richmond Terrace, where NFU president Tom Bradshaw will deliver a final address.
‘Cocktail of issues’
William Taylor, Farmers For Action (FFA) NI co-ordinator, has travelled from Northern Ireland to London to take part in the rally.
He said: “This isn’t just about inheritance tax, it’s about so much more. There is a whole cocktail of issues that farmers are dealing with.
“The Basic Payment Scheme started in 2003 and payments have not kept up with inflation and are worth in real terms about 50% now compared to back then. The increases in national insurance employer contributions have added further costs to struggling farm businesses not to mention the tax increases on double-car pick-ups.
“Farmers have grappled with decades of poor farmgate prices and many are also battling livestock diseases, such as bovine TB and now bluetongue.
“The impact of accelerated climate change and extreme weather on farm businesses has reduced crop yields and increased housing and fodder costs for stock farmers. The government’s 20% IHT tax on farming assets really is the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
He added: “It is time for chancellor Rachel Reeves and prime minister Sir Keir Stamer to take food security seriously and talk to farmer representatives from across the UK before people go hungry. And, to quote Harry Ferguson [Massey Ferguson’s founder], ‘A hungry man is a dangerous man!’”
Labour peer lashes out
Ahead of the rally, Labour peer Baroness Mallalieu openly slammed her party’s stance on IHT on farms.
Baroness Mallalieu, who is president of the Countryside Alliance and a part-time farmer in Somerset, said: “A Labour government that cares about rural communities should ensure that it protects the farming families who are the backbone of the British countryside and produce 60% of our food.
“Destroying family farms is an unforeseen which is a result of hurried decision-making by the Treasury without consultation with anybody, including Defra.
“Sadly, this will only underline the perception that Labour has become an urban party divorced from the big section of the community that lives and works in the countryside.”
Defra secretary Steve Reed is expected to keep a low profile during the day and it remains to be seen if he will meet farmers face to face.
However, the minister is due to be grilled by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) committee in parliament about IHT reforms and other farming and rural policies from 2.30pm.
Reeves and Reed issue joint statement defending farm IHT reforms
Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Defra secretary Steve Reed released a joint statement ahead of the London Farming Rally.
It said: “Farmers are the backbone of Britain, and we recognise the strength of feeling expressed by farming and rural communities in recent weeks. We are steadfast in our commitment to Britain’s farming industry because food security is national security.
“It’s why we are investing £5bn into farming over the next two years – the largest amount ever directed towards sustainable food production, rural economic growth and nature’s recovery in our country’s history.
“But with public services crumbling and a £22bn fiscal hole that this government inherited, we have taken difficult decisions.
“The reforms to Agricultural Property Relief ensure that wealthier estates and the most valuable farms pay their fair share to invest in our schools and health services that farmers and families in rural communities rely on.”