Farmers' protest live: Protesters say ‘no pancakes without us' on tractor tax march in London

Yahoo

04-03-2025

Thousands of farmers have vowed there will be 'no pancakes without us' on a protest from Whitehall towards Parliament over inheritance tax changes.
Protesters, with tractors and combine harvesters, arrived in London this morning for the 'Pancake Day rally' after police banned tractors from the capital.
Seven machines present at the start of the protest were pre-agreed with police under the conditions of the Public Order Act, police said.
The Met banned all other 'mechanically propelled vehicles' from the capital following protests last month that saw hundreds of tractors disrupt traffic across the city.
The march is the latest action being taken by farmers who are unhappy over Labour's plan to bring in a 20 per cent inheritance tax rate on agricultural land and businesses worth more than £1m.
Farmer Olly Harrison, one of the organisers, has said the protesters will aim to explain to MPs 'the levels of investment needed in agriculture just to produce something simple like a pancake'.
Thousands of farmers turn up to Whitehall: 'No pancakes without us'
Farmers turn up in combine harvesters ahead of London protest
Farmers could be arrested if they drive tractors at rally, police warn
Third Labour MP speaks out against inheritance tax plans
13:57 , Alexander Butler
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the Met Police banning tractors from today's protest was 'heavy-handed'.
Speaking at the protest, Mr Farage said: 'It looks on the face of it to be overly heavy-handed with what is an incredibly peaceful and law-abiding group of people.'
Mr Farage urged farmers to pressure Labour MPs in rural constituencies whose majorities are "cigarette paper-thin".
13:37 , Alexander Butler
13:26 , Alex Croft
Emma, 48, says she has heard of elderly farmers who would rather die now than wait until inheritance tax changes come into force in April 2026.
'We're already hearing of people that have taken their own life because of the situation,' the farmer from Staffordshire said.
Her father passed away five years ago, leaving the farm to her mother. 'When anything happens to her, the money's going have to be found for this tax,' she adds.
13:10 , Alexander Butler
13:06 , Alex Croft
Nigel Watson, a 58-year-old farmer from East Yorkshire says he is here for his son's benefit - not his own.
'The inheritance tax will give my son a bill of circa half a million pounds,' he said.
'Their attitude towards rural people is quite negative at the moment, and we'd just like them to engage with us.'
12:38 , Alexander Butler
Farmers are handing out pancakes from the top of a combine harvester to dozens of protesters in Whitehall, Alex Croft reports.
They are flipping the batter and cooking the pancakes from a pan before throwing them down to supporters.
Disco music also blasts from a large nearby sound system on a beautiful sunny day in London.
12:33 , Alex Croft
Protesting farmers will not stop until the government listens, the National Farmers Union (NFU) president Tom Bradshaw warned.
Speaking from the top of a combined harvester, Mr Bradshaw said: 'This is a marathon, not a sprint.
'If we have to, we'll have to keep on turning up, we'll have to keep on campaigning.'
'We have to make sure they understand we cannot go away and we will not go away,' he added, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
12:10 , Alexander Butler
Hundreds of protestors gathered on Whitehall to protest the government's controversial inheritance tax changes are in a generally upbeat and positive mood, Alex Croft reports.
But there is clear frustration towards the government's refusal to U-turn on the plans.
And pancakes are the clear theme of the Shrove Tuesday protest.
'Farmers matter if we want batter,' reads one sign.
Multiple farmers have raised a key point for pancake day: there are no pancakes without flour and eggs.
12:08
Labour's inheritance tax plans are 'absolutely devastating' for farming families, shadow farming minister Robbie Moore said.
'It is absolutely devastating. The elderly generation are having to make some really tough decisions.
'They know they will have to pay inheritance tax after April 2026,' Mr Moore said.
11:51 , Alexander Butler
Shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins slammed Labour's inheritance tax plans as 'vindictive' and claimed it was forcing families to consider elderly relatives living beyond April 2026.
'This dreadful vindictive farm tax will break family farming as we know it,' Ms Atkins said on the protest in London this morning.
'Across kitchens tables up and down the country, families are having conversations about whether they can afford for an elderly relative to live beyond April 2026.
'Because if they live beyond this date, they will be hit with an enormous inheritance tax bill.'
11:28 , Alexander Butler
Labour is pressing ahead with a 20 per cent inheritance tax rate on agricultural land and businesses worth more than £1m, essentially scrapping an exemption which meant no tax was paid to pass down family farms.
Farmers say that it will force land sales, stall investment, and hurt families lacking succession plans.
But the Government has stood firm, calling the move a 'fair and balanced approach'.
The Lib Dems and the Conservatives urged Labour to scrap the changes, which are due to come into force from April 2026.
11:08 , Alexander Butler
11:00 , Alexander Butler
10:52 , Alexander Butler
Dozens of tractors and harvesters have started driving onto Parliament Street, Alex Croft reports.
The huge vehicles were parked off the main thoroughfare this morning. It is not clear if they have permission to be there or not.
The Met Police banned all 'mechanically propelled vehicles' from London following protests last month that saw hundreds of tractors disrupt traffic across the city.
However, a small number of farming vehicles have been allowed into London with prior permission from the police.
10:39
A third Labour MP has broke ranks with the party to oppose the government's plans for inheritance tax.
Henry Tufnell, MP for South and Mid-Pembrokeshire, warned it was not only wealthy landowners who would be affected by the decision to levy inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1m.
"It's affecting the fabric of the society within those rural communities and that's why we were elected," Mr Tufnell told Sky News.
09:57 , Alexander Butler
Protesting farmers have turned up to London in combine harvesters.
A four-metre tall Grimme sugar beat harvester towered over two other farming vehicles outside Whitehall this morning.
A self-propelled Claas Jaguar 970 forage harvester was parked next to it, alongside a Claas combine harvester.
The Met Police has banned all 'mechanically propelled vehicles' from London following protests last month that saw hundreds of tractors descend on the capital.
A small number of farming vehicles have been allowed into London with prior permission from the police.
09:40 , Alexander Butler
Farmer Olly Harrison, one of the organisers, said: 'We don't need any tractors, this is on foot.
'We are going to have some kit to show to the MPs to explain the levels of investment.
'We've sorted all that out, you just get yourself there on foot,' he told those taking part.
'Let's explain the levels of investment needed in agriculture just to produce something simple like a pancake.'
09:27 , Alexander Butler
A Government spokesperson said: 'Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast.
'This Government are investing £5 billion into farming, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country's history.
'We are going further with reforms to boost profits for farmers by backing British produce and reforming planning rules on farms to support food production.
'Our reform to agricultural and business property reliefs will mean three quarters of estates will continue to pay no inheritance tax at all, while the remaining quarter will pay half the inheritance tax that most people pay, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free.
'This is a fair and balanced approach which helps fix the public services we all rely on.'
09:20 , Alexander Butler
Labour is pressing ahead with a 20 per cent inheritance tax rate on agricultural land and businesses worth more than £1 million.
The move essentially scraps an exemption that meant no tax was paid to pass down family farms.
The plans are due to come into force from April 2026.
08:39 , Alexander Butler
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ben Russell, who is commanding the policing operation, said: 'Two previous protests have taken place in the same area, with the same organisers, in recent months.
'The second protest saw a significant number of people attend with tractors and other large farming vehicles. Whitehall was blocked for much of the day and there were lengthy significant delays on surrounding roads.
'It is our responsibility to ensure that protests don't cause serious disruption to the life of the community and we've used our powers under the Public Order Act to ensure that does not happen on Tuesday.
'We have been in regular contact with the organisers to explain our decision making and I'm grateful for the positive and collaborative approach they have taken.'
08:37 , Alexander Butler
Why are Britain's farmers protesting?
07:59 , Tara Cobham
Farmer Olly Harrison, one of the organisers, said: 'We don't need any tractors, this is on foot.
'We are going to have some kit to show to the MPs to explain the levels of investment.
'We've sorted all that out, you just get yourself there on foot,' he told those taking part.
'Let's explain the levels of investment needed in agriculture just to produce something simple like a pancake.'
07:51 , Tara Cobham
Farmers could be arrested if they drive their tractors at a march in central London, police have said.
Conditions have been imposed under the Public Order Act preventing demonstrators from bringing tractors, other than a limited number already agreed by the organisers to demonstrate the costs of such specialist equipment, the Metropolitan Police said.
Deputy assistant commissioner Ben Russell, who is leading the policing operation, said last month's protest saw a 'significant number of people attend with tractors and other large farming vehicles'.
He said there were lengthy road delays, adding: 'It is our responsibility to ensure that protests don't cause serious disruption to the life of the community.'
Scotland Yard warned that it is a criminal offence to breach the conditions or to incite others to do so, and that anyone doing so may face arrest.
07:45
Farmers say that it will force land sales, stall investment, and hurt families lacking succession plans.
But the government has stood firm, calling the move a 'fair and balanced approach'.
07:41 , Tara Cobham
The government has stood firm in the face of strong opposition to the move, insisting its approach is 'fair and balanced'.
A government spokesperson said: 'Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast.
'This Government are investing £5 billion into farming, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country's history.
'We are going further with reforms to boost profits for farmers by backing British produce and reforming planning rules on farms to support food production.
'Our reform to agricultural and business property reliefs will mean three quarters of estates will continue to pay no inheritance tax at all, while the remaining quarter will pay half the inheritance tax that most people pay, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free.
'This is a fair and balanced approach which helps fix the public services we all rely on.'
07:39 , Tara Cobham
The Lib Dems and the Conservatives urged Labour to scrap the changes.
Shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins called the move 'vindictive'.
'Once again, rural communities will gather in Westminster to show their united opposition to Labour's vindictive family farms tax.
'Our rural communities have warned repeatedly that Labour's tax hike is stopping investment, inflicting an enormous emotional toll on farming families and will break family farms,' she said.
She also argued that introducing this tax puts domestic food production and security at risk.
Tim Farron, the Lib Dem environment spokesman, said: 'British farmers are the best in the world. We need them now more than ever to restore nature, provide food security, tackle climate change and support the rural economy.
'The Government must reverse this disastrous family farm tax and instead provide farmers with the support and funding they need to do what is best for the country and for future generations.'
07:37 , Tara Cobham
Labour is pressing ahead with a 20 per cent inheritance tax rate on agricultural land and businesses worth more than £1 million.
The move essentially scraps an exemption that meant no tax was paid to pass down family farms.
The plans are due to come into force from April 2026.
07:34 , Tara Cobham
Farmers will return to central London to protest inheritance tax changes with a 'Pancake Day rally' on Tuesday.
Attendees will march from Whitehall at around midday towards Parliament, with the demonstration due to end at 3pm.
The protest will be largely on foot as police are allowing only a limited number of tractors after last month's demonstration caused traffic delays.
Farmers who bring tractors in breach of the conditions could face arrest.
Farmer Olly Harrison, one of the organisers, has said the protesters will aim to explain to MPs 'the levels of investment needed in agriculture just to produce something simple like a pancake'.