Sir Keir Starmer’s support for farmers is “steadfast”, Downing Street insisted, as Westminster braced for a protest by tractor drivers.
Hundreds of farmers are expected to bring their machines to the streets around Parliament as Sir Keir faces Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday as rural communities continued to express anger over changes to inheritance tax.
The “RIP British Farming” protest has been organised by Kent Fairness for Farmers and Save British Farming in response to the “toxic” Budget.
Save British Farming’s Liz Webster described the Labour Government’s approach, including limiting inheritance tax relief to the first £1 million of agricultural and business property, as “Stalinist”.
Asked if Sir Keir was concerned farmers could get more militant and restrict food supplies, the spokesman said: “We have been very clear we are not going to change course on this policy.
“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 £5 billion 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, which limit the existing 100% relief for farms to the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business property.
Last month an estimated 13,000 people gathered in Westminster to protest against the Budget’s impact on farming, with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, TV personality Jeremy Clarkson and leading politicians Kemi Badenoch, Sir Ed Davey and Nigel Farage among them.
On Wednesday, tractors are expected to travel into the capital from across the country, including from 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.
Save British Farming founder Ms Webster 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.
“(Prime Minister Sir) Keir Starmer must listen to farmers and step back from the brink and do what is right and best for our great country.”
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?
“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.”
The protest comes as the Government publishes a report on Wednesday analysing the state of UK food security.
And MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee will hear from National Farmers’ Union president Tom Bradshaw and witnesses from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and tax experts on the impacts of the changes to inheritance tax.
