Jeremy Clarkson joins farmers rallying in Westminster against 'family farm tax'

Farmers, opposition parties and Jeremy Clarkson have travelled to Whitehall to oppose the government's inheritance tax decisions, as ITV News Political Correspondent Harry Horton reports

Farmers protested at Westminster on Tuesday, to urge the government to row back on its plans to change agricultural inheritance tax rules.

Around 1,800 members of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) gathered for a mass lobby of MPs, and thousands more joined a rally in Whitehall to protest against the recent Budget.

In October, Rachel Reeves announced inheritance tax of 20% will apply to combined agricultural and business property worth more than £1 million. The standard rate of inheritance tax applied to other land and property is 40%.

Broadcaster and celebrity farmer Jeremy Clarkson was among those joining the protest, which was also attended by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and Reform UK's Nigel Farage.

Clarkson said Rachel Reeves' Budget amounted to a "blunderbuss" for the sector, and said he was attending in support of farmers.

Jeremy Clarkson speaks with the media in central London ahead of the farmers protest over the changes to inheritance tax. Credit: PA

Speaking on the policy, he said: “It was – as I understand it – it was a very rushed last-minute decision and I think we all make mistakes in life, and I think it’s time for them to say ‘you know what, we’ve cocked this one up a bit’ and back down.”

A Downing Street spokesperson maintained the changes are balanced and proportionate, and said only 500 claims a year are expected to be affected. The statement urged "caution" around calculations that are done based only on the value of assets.

Farmers have reacted angrily to the changes, with the president of the NFU accusing the government of "betrayal" and claiming the policy will "rip the heart of family farms".

Tom Bradshaw urged NFU members to unite, and said: “The impact for retail prices and shelf prices is going to have to be dramatic. It’s an inflationary budget for food production and you in this group have nothing left to give.

“It’s been nothing but a bad Budget and I’ve never seen anything like it in my lifetime.”

He encouraged those gathered to lobby for MPs to join the rally organised by other farmers in Westminster.

“We know the horrendous pressure it is putting on the older generation of farmers who have given everything to providing food for this country," Mr Bradshaw continued.

“We know that any tax revenue will be taken from our children and raised from those that die in tragic circumstances, all within the next seven years.”

Conservative MPs join farmers protest outside the Houses of Parliament in central London over the changes to inheritance tax rules. Credit: PA

After meeting with Environment Secretary Steve Reed on Monday, Mr Bradshaw confirmed "tough conversations" meant Tuesday's demonstration would go ahead.

Nellie Budd, who runs a Surrey cattle farm with her husband which was inherited from her father-in-law, told ITV News she was "angry" ahead of attending the protest.

"We're passionate that these new changes in the Budget are really going to rip the heart out of Britain, its beating heart," she said.

Referring to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, she added: "He's going to ruin farms, he's going to ruin families more to the point, and people that make the community."

Richard Wainwright, a fourth-generation farmer from Halifax, West Yorkshire, said a farmers' strike is a possibility if changes are not reversed.

Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.

"I hope it doesn’t come to that because that’s seriously going to impact the food chain.”

On the impact on his farm, he said: “We’ve got to possibly sell a 20% share of the farmland to be able to cover the tax bill. For us it’s around £600,000 we are going to have to pay.

Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Victoria Atkins claimed the government's policy would "destroy" family farming.

Victoria Atkins called the plans "cruel", and said the UK's food stability could be at risk

She said: "This cruel policy removes the ability of family farms to pass on their farms to future generations depriving not only just those children of their future livelihoods but also putting at risk our food stability."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he understands their "anxiety", but the majority of farmers will be unaffected.

He said on Friday: "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.

Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch join Conservative MPs and farmers to protest outside the Houses of Parliament. Credit: PA

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

Ahead of the protests, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said her party would oppose the measures, accusing them of threatening "our vital rural economy and our food security".

She joined those demonstrating outside Westminster against the measures.

Have you heard The Trapped? Listen as Daniel Hewitt exposes the UK's dirty secret