Farmers from across the UK will converge on London later today (Monday, February 9), for the ‘Change your tune Starmer’ tractor rally.
The rally has been arranged by community organisation, Save British Farming, in protest against the UK government’s changes to inheritance tax.
As it stands, farmland is currently exempt from inheritance tax under a policy called ‘Agricultural Property Relief’ (APR).
This is set to change in April 2026 under the new Labour government’s mandate, which will see all agricultural land valued over £1 million taxed at 20%.
The protest will coincide with a parliamentary debate, as MPs discuss the new inheritance tax, in response to the ‘Family Farm Tax’ petition, launched by farming unions, which reportedly garnered over 145,000 signatures contesting the proposed APR changes.
Some protestors have gathered at a pit stop at Belmont farm in West London, this morning, where Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage addressed the crowd, pledging his support to their cause ahead of their final descent on Whitehall this afternoon.
In his speech, Farage called for an end to the APR policy changes, which he referred to as “death taxes”, arguing that the taxes were “wrong and immoral at every level”.
According to the organisers, tractors are expected to access Whitehall, which will be closed off for the protest, via Trafalgar Square side, before arriving at Parliament square at approximately 1p.m.
Speeches will begin at 3:15p.m, when Country Land and Business Association (CLA) deputy president, Gavin Lane, will take to the stage as one of the speakers.
In advance of his speech, Lane, said: “The government is hoping we’d move on, but these are our livelihoods we are defending.
“This issue will haunt them until they see sense. The case against these tax reforms is only growing stronger, and we are working to bring the whole of British industry together for the common good.
“We are delighted to be supporting the rally on Monday and thank everyone involved, and the public, for their backing.”
Save British Farming has stated it will be working alongside London’s Metropolitan Police throughout the day, to ensure attendees’ right to protest are protected.
Responding to protests, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner, told parliament on November 4, 2024, that the agriculture industry is in receipt of “the biggest ever budget for sustainable food production and nature recovery in our country’s history”.
However, protestors have challenged this statement, arguing that the sector’s budget has been frozen at £2.4 billion since 2024, and has been shrinking in real terms ever since.
According to its ‘Farming and Countryside Programme’ annual report, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has continuously underspent its budget, revealing a shortfall of £358 million in the last three years.
In addition, the government published the ‘Farm Business Income by type of farm in England 2023/24’ report in November 2024, which stated that in 2023 – 2024, “30% of farms failed to make a profit, compared to 17% of farms in 2022 – 2023”.
Save British Farming activist, farmer and content creator, Oli Fletcher, has claimed that the industry has been neglected for a long period of time and that the proposed changes come as a significant proportion of farmers are already struggling financially.
He predicts that the inheritance tax, if implemented, will only further devastate the sector.
In an impassioned plea for support ahead of the tractor rally, Fletcher said: “We have particular cultural attribute that allow us to keep producing food at a loss over long periods of time.
“That is the benefit of small family farms, we can keep food prices low for the urban working class by not taking a wage, but the people who were prepared to do that, the people who fed Britain during the war, are running out.
“Help us, help you. That is why we are here today, we know our industry, we know our land and we know what’s in the national interest. It is imperative for the security of this nation and for the environment, that we save British farming.”
