Farmers in fresh protests as they claim 'food and environment not important to government'
Farmers in fresh protests as they claim 'food and environment not important to government'
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Farmers angry at the government's inheritance tax reforms have been protesting in town centres across the UK using their tractors as part of a so-called National Day of Unity. The Treasury estimates the changes, revealed in last October's budget, will raise up to £520m a year. Farmers and campaigners say they threaten the future of thousands of multi-generational family farms and would "decimate" the country's agricultural sector.
People brought their food, tractors and livestock to the protests which took place in all four UK nations. The series of events on Saturday was organised by the National Farmers Union (NFU). A day earlier in Downing Street, NFU president Tom Bradshaw and NFU Cymru president Aled Jones handed in a petition signed by more than 270,000 members of the public calling on ministers to ditch the "devastating family farm tax".
Last month, Mr Bradshaw told Sky News that he cannot rule out food shortages if farmers go on strike. Saturday's events, in places including Cambridge, Warwick and Selby in North Yorkshire, were about "visibility", according to an NFU spokesperson. They said: "It's about going out to the public in the town centres and thanking them for their support, encouraging them to keep supporting farming. The visibility is about a reminder that the problem is still there.".
They added: "We want the chance to meet and discuss, and review the decisions that she [Chancellor Rachel Reeves] has made.". Since 1984, farmers and agricultural land and business owners have been exempt from IHT, thanks to a series of tax "reliefs" that can be applied to estates.
