Farmers bring heavy equipment into central London on Monday to pressure the government into abandoning plans to change the country's laws around inheritance. RICHARD BAKER/GETTY IMAGES
Hundreds of tractors converged on central London on Monday as farmers protested against the United Kingdom government's proposed changes to inheritance tax laws, particularly the introduction of a 20-percent tax on farms valued at more than 1 million pounds ($1.27 million).
The demonstration, which was organized by Save British Farming, coincided with a parliamentary debate on a petition opposing the tax changes, which included almost 150,000 signatures.
Farmers argue that the new tax, which is set to take effect in April 2026, would force them to sell land or business assets to meet the tax liability, threatening the future of family-run farms across the UK, reported the Associated Press.
The protest was part of a series of demonstrations by farmers since the announcement of the tax changes in the October 2024 budget.
While UK farmers have traditionally been less confrontational than their European mainland counterparts, who have continued to block major cities with tractor protests over regulations and fuel costs, UK farmers are now threatening to escalate their actions if their inheritance tax concerns go unaddressed.
The National Farmers' Union, or NFU, is supporting its members participating in protests and emphasizing the potential negative impact on the farming community.
"The human impact of this policy is simply not acceptable, it's wrong," NFU President Tom Bradshaw told protesters. "It's kicking the legs out from under British food security."
Despite the widespread opposition, the UK's Labour Party government remains firm in its decision, stating that the tax changes are necessary to address budget deficits and ensure fairness in the tax system, reported ITV News.
Speaking at a Farmers To Action campaign event in north London prior to the protest in Westminster, Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage said: "I'm pleased to see the campaign is ramping up. It's growing right across the country."
Labour Party members of parliament in rural seats "are getting scared", Farage added, suggesting they will pressure the prime minister if they see "local communities getting behind these families "affected by the changes.
Farage said "persistent and peaceful" campaigning by farmers could "get change" on the new inheritance tax rules.
Police estimated the Westminster protest drew 13,000 supporters.
Celebrity farmer and former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson addressed the event, while 1,800 farmers entered parliament for talks with lawmakers.
Tom Lucas, a farmer from the English county of Cambridgeshire, drove his 1970 Massey Ferguson tractor for eight hours to join the protest and express his fears about losing his family farm due to the tax changes.
"It's awful, absolutely awful," he told The Times newspaper. "If I want to take over our little family farm, which is 130 acres, then I'll have to find quite a lot of money.
"My great granddad started it, then it was my grandfather, then uncle, and hopefully in the future it would be mine. But if it goes the way it's going, we just don't know… it is heartbreaking."
