Farmers fight tax changes as protests return to London. Tractors, wellies, and tweed jackets now replace the usual black cabs and suits around Westminster. The next big demonstration is set for Tuesday, just before the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) annual conference.
Since October, farmers have taken to the streets. They protest inheritance tax (IHT) changes announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Anger has grown, with banners waving and voices rising against the reforms.
This year, the NFU conference moves from Birmingham to London. The organization aims to cut costs by holding its usual two-day event in the Midlands every other year. However, the shift comes as farmers struggle with rising costs, labor shortages, and post-Brexit payment changes. Unpredictable weather, especially winter flooding, adds to their difficulties.
Farmers fight tax changes as incomes drop. The latest figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) show income declines across all farm types. Many blame the IHT changes, calling them a “betrayal.” Before the election, Environment Secretary Steve Reed assured farmers there would be no changes to agricultural property relief (APR). Now, the government insists that bringing farms under IHT is necessary to fund public services. Officials claim only a quarter of estates—around 500 per year—will be affected, with a reduced 20% tax rate instead of 40%. But farming groups dispute these figures. They warn of major risks to food security, investment, and family-run farms.
Tensions between farmers and ministers have worsened. Last week, NFU President Tom Bradshaw and other agricultural leaders presented an alternative tax plan. The government rejected it. A spokesperson defended the original reforms as a “fair and balanced approach.” Bradshaw warned of “fury, real anger, and desperation” among farmers.
As 700 farmers gather for the NFU conference, the mood remains tense. The theme, “Foundations for the Future,” focuses on confidence and rebuilding trust. However, Prime Minister Keir Starmer will not attend—unlike past leaders who engaged with farmers.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed will speak at the conference. But after January’s Oxford Farming Conference—where honking tractor horns interrupted his speech—he likely won’t receive a warm welcome.
Reed will offer an olive branch. He plans to announce that hospitals, schools, and prisons will serve more British food. The public sector will aim for half of its food to come from farms with top welfare standards, mostly in the UK. This fulfills a Labour manifesto promise.
Tom Walton, a fourth-generation farmer from Buckinghamshire, will attend his first NFU conference. His family farm, nearly a century old, faces an uncertain future. He wants to pass it to his future child, due this summer. But the tax changes make that dream uncertain.
“Everyone talks about sustainability in farming,” Walton said. “But financial sustainability matters too. Right now, it looks rocky.”
Farmers fight tax changes, demanding a fair future. The NFU conference will test whether the government is ready to listen.
Stay tuned to London Pulse News for further updates on the farmers’ protests and the NFU conference as tensions rise over tax changes.
