Why are farmers planning to protest and strike?

Farmers are protesting outside Parliament today - but why? ITV News explains.

Farmers across the nation have been left reeling by Labour's changes to inheritance tax on farms and are planning a series of protests and a strike in response.

As the row on the introduction of taxes for farms worth more than £1 million continues to swell, Downing Street has doubled down on its insistence that the vast majority of farmers won't be affected.

When and where are the protests taking place?

There will be two protests held on Tuesday in central London.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is holding a mass lobby of MPs on Tuesday, with 1,800 members gathering in Westminster.

A separate rally taking place on the same day in central London has had to move location because of growing support from farmers, with organisers saying it will now take place on Whitehall, opposite Downing Street.

Organisers say the rally aims to send a message in the heart of London that family farms and the rural community “stand united against the government’s catastrophic Budget”.

Farmers will hear from celebrities and farming leaders, including NFU president Tom Bradshaw, and are being asked to wear their boots and wellies as a sign of working people, and bring British produce for a mass food bank donation.

While a procession to Parliament Square will be spearheaded by children on toy tractors, organisers have told those coming to the rally they should not bring their farm machinery.

When and where is the strike taking place?

The strike is set to begin on Sunday only in Wales.

A farming pressure group in Wales, Enough Is Enough, says "thousands" of farmers will strike for a week by withholding meat and crops from supermarkets.

Welsh farmer, Gareth Wyn Jones, uploaded a video to social media saying: “British farmers have simply had enough, and for those who are able will be going on strike for the first time in history on Sunday the 17th of November for one week.

“We are being suffocated by a government that seems determined to destroy our livelihoods, our future and our ability to feed the nation."

He said it was a "last resort" but farmers are "in despair as we simply cannot afford to provide food to the public".

“We ask this government to talk to us, to listen to us, and allow us the freedom and flexibility to feed our nation," he added.

A cereal farmer, who has been behind an upcoming mass protest, told ITV News a nationwide farmers' strike could soon follow if the government doesn't listen to farmers' concerns.

Olly Harrison said: "If it's a strike that's needed, if we're not listened to on the 19th, I can see that happening. But it won't just be farmers striking, it'll be everyone around us."

What are the changes to inheritance tax for farmers?

Labour's inheritance tax change limits the 100% relief for farms to only the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business property.

For anything above that, landowners will pay a 20% tax rate, rather than the standard 40% rate of inheritance tax (IHT) applied to other land and property.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed remained adamant “three quarters of farmers will pay nothing” in inheritance tax.

Downing Street doubled down on Friday with the prime minister saying he "understands the anxiety" but most farmers won't be affected.

Sir Keir Starmer, visiting Welsh farms on Friday, told broadcasters: "For a couple that want to pass a farm on to one of their children, which would be a very typical case, then it's £3,000,000 before any inheritance tax is paid.

"And that's why for the vast, vast majority of farms and farmers this is not going to affect them.

"And I think it's important that I say that to reassure people because I do understand. But my job is to support farmers to the hilt and I'll do that."

What are the issues at the heart of the tax changes?

Farmers have challenged the government's stance that "three quarters" of farmers will pay nothing, pointing instead to data from Environment Department (Defra) which suggests 66% of farm businesses are worth more than the £1 million threshold at which inheritance tax will now have to be paid.

New figures from Defra also showed falling farm incomes this year.

National Farmers’ Union President Tom Bradshaw pointed to figures which show income falls of 73% for cereal farmers and 68% for dairy farmers in 2023/24, after two very strong years for both sectors.

And he said that instead of a government creating policies to support British agriculture and help farmers and growers build financial resilience into their businesses, the recent Budget has “left farmers reeling”.

Mr Bradshaw said the latest figures on farm incomes paint a “stark picture of the challenges facing many farmers” who are dealing with one of the wettest winters in decades, high input costs, lower commodity prices and a reduction in subsidies amid a shift to environmental payments.

He said that instead of a Government creating policies to support British agriculture and help farmers and growers build financial resilience into their businesses, the recent Budget has “left farmers reeling”.

Mr Bradshaw said: “Many will be faced with a tax bill of millions. Some will be forced to sell all or part of their farm to raise the funds.”

And he said the tax “threatens our food security” and – along with other changes in the Budget – to push up prices for consumers, as he accused the Treasury of getting its figures wrong on how many farms would be affected.

“The only sensible course of action is for the Treasury to reverse this decision and soon,” he said.

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