Pancake Day march in London set to highlight farming issues

Farmers will take to the streets of London on 4 March for a Pancake Day-themed march to highlight the critical issues facing the farming community, including inheritance tax (IHT) challenges.

The event, organised by the same group behind the November farming rally in London, is being supported by the NFU, which is encouraging its members to attend.

The march will demonstrate the vital role farming plays in producing everyday food, with organisers aiming to show MPs exactly what goes into making a pancake.

See also: NFU’s ‘clawback’ IHT proposal to Treasury could raise £686m

Olly Harrison, one of the organisers, said: “If you want to eat a pancake that maybe costs 10p on pancake day, there is £1m worth of investment behind that to make that happen. Westminster doesn’t understand that.”

Organisers plan to bring machinery and equipment to demonstrate the process of making a pancake, from the flour to the eggs.

They also intend to have someone cooking fresh pancakes, which they hope to offer to MPs.

Mr Harrison is urging people to attend the march to call for amendments to the IHT policy – particularly for older farmers who are struggling to pass on their farms to the next generation.

“We need to get them to put in some sort of amendment or amnesty to let the older generation pass their farm over to the next generation in the next 12 months,” he said.

Food focused

The idea for the march came from Mr Harrison and fellow farmers Martin Williams, Clive Bailey, Nigel Friend, and Andrew Ward, who chose Pancake Day as the focus.

“It’s a day when everyone talks about food, and food is at the heart of this,” they said.

The march will start at 12pm on Whitehall and will move through Trafalgar Square, Northumberland Avenue, Embankment, and Parliament Square before concluding at 3pm.

Organisers are encouraging multigenerational farming families, especially older farmers, to share their stories on the day.

“We want the government to open an amnesty for older farm owners who can’t afford to die,” Mr Harrison said. “The current proposal of IHT is cruel and callous.”

If you plan to attend the march, organisers are asking people to register their attendance in advance.