Thousands of farmers attend rally amid fears inheritance tax will decimate local sector

Seven thousand NI farmers have united in protest over Labour's inheritance tax changes.

They say the plans could obliterate the sector as we know it, destroy livelihoods and disrupt food supply.

The Eikon Centre outside Lisburn was packed for the event organised by the Ulster Farmers Union, with a steady stream of protestors continuing to arrive hours after the event had started due to traffic congestion.

Those in attendance were urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves urging her to rethink the move to axe full Agricultural Property Relief (APR) on inheritance tax.

From April 2026, APR will only apply to the first £1 million of the estate, with anything over that value taxed at 20%.

It means that in the event of inheriting a farm, the beneficiary would potentially need to have hundreds of thousands of pounds in cash in order to pay the tax bill, and will therefore have to sell off assets in order to keep it, risking family farms being broken up or becoming unviable.

It is thought this will impact around one in three farms in NI, which the UFU's deputy John McLenaghan told UTV is in contradiction with figures Labour has mentioned.

Dozens of farmers spoke to UTV about their fears.

Paul, a 50-year-old farmer and vet from Islandmagee brought his infant son Rowan to the protest.

"Yes the country needs investment, the country needs, infrastructure, it needs an NHS that's fit for purpose," he said.

"It needs an education system that's able to take this wee fellow through so he can make decisions about his own future... but taking it out of the family farm, taking it out of agriculture is not the right way to do it."

He went on to explain why making a life-time gift to avoid paying tax is not a simple resolve to this problem as some would suggest.

Samuel farms beef and dairy with brother and his nephews Sam and Jack in Comber.

"We're going to have to get something done, or we'll be left on the roadside," he said.

"I would say if this goes ahead, there'll be no such thing as carrying on for these lads," he said.

Sarah and Raquel are 7th generation farmers from the Nutts Corner area who fear that it would be "impossible" to keep their assets under the new rules.

"We'd have to sell land," said Sarah.

"My mum is a teacher, I work with food, my brothers are engineers and work in education - we have to, to keep the farm alive as it is, so with this, it would just be impossible to keep."

"One generation and the farm is gone," said Daniel from Loughgall who farms beef and crops with his dad and uncle.

"You'd keep splitting your farm down, and there's not enough money in farming anymore to do that, it'll just not last.

"It is a lot of pressure. You'll be dealing with the loss of a parent and that tax bill, it's just a disgrace what they've come out with," he said.

Clive is from Ballygawley. He has two sons who aspire to take on the farm.

"The way the farmers have been treated it hasn't been fair on farmers, we are working hard day and night to make a living and they want to take the tax off us, it's not fair.

"We've worked hard all our lives to make a future for them," he told UTV.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and DAERA minister Andrew Muir addressed the rally, which came ahead of national protests planned for London on Tuesday.

Ms O’Neill told the rally that the approach of the UK government threatened to undermine the future of many family farms and had caused “enormous distress” in the rural community.

“It has the potential to undermine the next generation of farmers and farming families,” she said.

Ms Little-Pengelly said the size of the crowd was “incredible”.

She said: “The thousands and thousands of people who have turned up here tonight sends a very clear message to the Government and that message is... take heed, listen to what you are being told, listen to the farmers of Northern Ireland, and across this United Kingdom, change course.”

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