Angry farmers threaten to unleash ‘buckets full of s***’ on Parliament in huge tax protest. (Image: Getty)
Farmers across the UK have reportedly voiced outrage over changes to inheritance tax announced in Rachel Reeves’ budget.
Right-wing political website Guido Fawkes reported sources claiming that some farmers are threatening to dump “buckets full of s***” on Parliament as anger erupts following the measures announced by the Chancellor.
Reeves’ new measures mean Agricultural Property Relief (APR) on inheritance tax will be capped at £1 million, with any additional assets over that threshold subject to a 50 percent tax rate.
This decision has left many in the farming community feeling betrayed, particularly as Labour had previously promised not to alter APR.
One furious farmer reportedly told Guido Fawkes: “We haven’t seen this kind of anger in among farmers since the Countryside March.”
Farmers across the UK have reportedly voiced outrage over changes to inheritance tax. (Image: Getty)
READ MORE: I’m a young shepherdess – Labour’s tax plans will be the death of many farms
The 2002 Countryside March saw 400,000 people protesting rural issues, including restrictions on fox hunting.
Farmers are warning that this could be a repeat, with one farmer claiming: “If Labour wants to close down family farming, we’ll close down Labour first.”
Another farmer expressed concerns about the broader impact of these changes on food prices, saying: “Farming is already tough, and piling on these costs will force smaller farms out, which will mean fewer local options and higher prices at the store.”
The Express has reached out to the government for comment.
Farmers from across the UK are set to converge on London for a rally. (Image: Getty)
This comes as farmers from across the UK are set to converge on London for a rally, which is not said to involve any manure.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is organising the rally, scheduled for Tuesday, November 19, at the Church House conference centre near Westminster – it was announced on Thursday. This will accommodate around 600 farmers. However, many more are expected to gather in the capital, according to Farmers Weekly.
The NFU Council held an emergency meeting on Thursday, October 31, where council delegates reached a consensus to hold the event in London “to get farmers’ voices heard.” NFU president Tom Bradshaw will address the rally, along with other prominent farm leaders.
The NFU has invited Defra Secretary Steve Reed to speak at the rally and outline the Labour government’s agricultural policies. It is unclear whether Reed or other ministers will accept the invitation.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) estimates that the new APR cap will impact approximately 70,000 farms – a move the organisation says will “destabilise food security” and “damage family businesses.”
The NFU Council held an emergency meeting on Thursday, October 31. (Image: Getty)
Bradshaw said: “Before the election, Keir Starmer promised to establish a new relationship with farming and the countryside. Well, he’s certainly done that.”
He added: “When you look farmers in the eye and make them a promise, keep it.”
The CLA argued that a £1 million exemption is inadequate, given high land prices.
Ben Sharples, an agricultural specialist at Michelmores law firm, explained: “The relief of a £1m exemption aimed at preserving family farms is not going to go very far when considering land values of £10,000 per acre, never mind the value of farmhouses and buildings.”
However, some experts believe the tax will not impact all farms equally.
Tax specialist Dan Neidle argued that the changes wouldn’t apply to 73 percent of farms and recommended that larger farm owners purchase life insurance to cover the tax payment.
Reeves defended her decision, saying: “At the moment, you can have some of the wealthiest landowners, not farmers, but wealthy landowners in this country who pay no inheritance tax whatsoever, while middle-class families do. That is not right, and that’s why we’ve closed that loophole.”
Farmers are also angered by the government’s decision to review the budget for nature-friendly farming initiatives and apply cuts to the Basic Payment Scheme.
These cuts, which impact the EU-era subsidies that many farms rely on, are set to be more severe than anticipated.
A 76 percent reduction will be applied to the first £30,000 of payments in 2025, prompting concerns about the sustainability of small family farms.
