As part of its Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign in protest of changes to inheritance tax, the National Farmers Union (NFU) will display ‘pre-loved’ farm toys, donated by its members, outside its annual conference in London on February 25.
The display aims to highlight the impact the proposed changes to the tax will have on the farming community.
In addition to the exhibit at the QEII Centre, a multi-generational farming family will also hand over a selection of farming toys to the Treasury with a message to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves challenging her decision to alter the inheritance tax reliefs.
The move is intended to be a symbolic gesture, with the toys purportedly coming from the children of Britain’s farming families who are being denied a future in the farming and agricultural industry, the NFU said in a statement on its website.
The move comes as the NFU increases its pressure on the government to reconsider its planned changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, ahead of the government’s spring statement (also known as the ‘mini-budget’) in March.
NFU president, Tom Bradshaw, explained what to expect from the event: “At our annual conference we will once again show the strength of feeling among family farmers who are seeing their children’s future snatched away.
“We want every member to send us a pre-loved toy tractor so that we can show Rachel Reeves what is at stake. Every toy will represent a farm that may be lost, and the generation which could lose it, thanks to this pernicious policy.
“We will keep fighting this battle until the government listens to British farmers and ultimately takes action.”
The NFU has arranged logistics to make donating a toy as simple as possible, with Friday, February 21, signaled as the deadline for donations.
Donations can be sent via mail or dropped off in person to the NFU Agriculture House in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, or, alternatively, toys can be hand delivered to the NFU conference.
According to the farmers union, all toys will be donated to charity following the conclusion of the annual conference on February 25.
