‘This is war!’ Keir Starmer sent major warning from farmers ahead of huge London protest.H
Hundreds of tractors expected to fill capital’s streets as Prime Minister warned he needs to put Britain’s food security first
Hundreds of tractors are expected to fill the streets of central London (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer has been sent a warning by farmers to “step back from the brink” ahead of a huge protest in London.
Hundreds of tractors are expected to fill the streets of Westminster for the “RIP British Farming” demonstration on Wednesday (December 11).
Kent Fairness for Farmers and Save British Farming, which have organised the event, described government changes to agricultural inheritance tax announced in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s first Budget as “toxic”.
Ahead of the protest, they said the Budget proposals “spells the death knell” for the farming industry.
The Daily Express’s crusade to Save Britain’s Family Farms has shown how families will be ruined by inheritance tax of 20% on farms worth more than £1million.
The proposal will make it financially punishing – if not impossible – for farmers to pass on land to their sons and daughters.
Liz Webster, founder of Save British Farming, said: “This anti-farming, Stalinist offensive from the Labour Government presents a real danger to us all. We rely on food to survive.
“Losing the ability to feed ourselves means a total loss of control. We learnt hard lessons in the last two world wars about the fact that food security is national security.
Thousands of farmers filled Whitehall in a protest last month (Image: Getty)
“Keir Starmer must listen to farmers and step back from the brink and do what is right and best for our great country.”
Tractors are expected to travel into the capital on Wednesday from across the country, including Exmoor, Shropshire, Somerset and the home counties.
The vehicles will line up on Whitehall from 10am. There will be speeches at noon and a slow drive around central London from about 12.45pm.
Jeff Gibson, founder of Kent Fairness For Farmers, said: “In most cases we are happy and immensely proud to provide food without any real financial gain, in the hope we can pass our farms, which we’ve worked so hard to protect and care for, to the next generation.
“The questions I ask you today are what future does farming have? Can we really expect the next generation to start their farming careers paying 10 years of tax burden because we died?
Downing Street says it will not back down over the policy (Image: Getty)
“My message to this government is I am happy to pay any tax to contribute to society like everyone else, but I can’t do that now with both arms tied behind my back.”
Welsh hill farmer and TV personality Gareth Wyn Jones said farmers do not want to protest and would rather be at home with their families, tending their crops and looking after their livestock – but will be taking to the streets.
He told his followers on social media: “Why? Because … the way we are treated as a community, as working people, is so, so frustrating.
“We feel we are no valued by our supermarkets or our governments, but we do feel valued by our general public, who have been very supportive.”
Downing Street said Sir Keir’s support for farmers is steadfast, but insisted the Government will not change course over the policy.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “It was necessary to take tough decisions at the Budget and the spending review and those decisions remain.
“But our commitment to farmers is steadfast and our message to farmers is clear, that is why we provided £5billion to the farming budget over two years including more money than ever for sustainable food production.”
Farmers have reacted with anger and dismay to the inheritance tax changes for farming businesses.
These will limit the existing 100% relief for farms up to the first £1million of combined agricultural and business property.
An estimated 13,000 people gathered in Westminster last month to protest against the Budget’s impact on farming.
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, TV personality-turned farmer Jeremy Clarkson, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage were among them.
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