A Lincolnshire farmer who is helping to organise a rally against the recent Budget says the industry is facing its biggest threat for 80 years.
The government announced last week changes to inheritance tax and national insurance which Andrew Ward described as “crippling”, writes Local Democracy Reporter Jamie Waller.
The National Farmers’ Union will hold a 1800-member lobby against the new policies in London on November 19.
Mr Ward, who farms in Leadenham, is helping to organise a side event for hundreds of others who want to make their voices heard.
“The changes we heard last week are the most serious threat to agriculture since the Second World War,” he said.
“The NFU event went from 600 people to 1800, and we know there are many more who still want to attend.
“We’ve been working with the Met Police to arrange a location for our event. It will be legal and peaceful, but it certainly won’t be happy.
“And any newspaper stories of farmers converging on London with tractors and muckspreaders won’t be true – we’ll be leaving them at home.”
The Chancellor announced last week that inheritance tax relief for farms will be limited to £1m, meaning it could cost farmers millions of pounds to hand down their estate to their families.
National insurance contributions for employers will also rise at a time when many farms are struggling.
The government says this is necessary to rebuild Britain’s public services.
Mr Ward hopes to use the day to highlight farmers’ crucial role in feeding the country.
“We’re hoping to have the biggest ever day for food bank donations,” he said.
“We need the government to realise the value of food and stop undervaluing farmers.
“The costs we have to absorb to put food in supermarkets are incredible, and still get paid the same as we did 20 years ago. Would anyone else put up with that?
“This Budget could be the end of family farms that have been going for 200 or 300 years.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves (Lab) claimed in the Budget that the government was making very difficult choices to ‘fix Britain’s foundations’ and close a £22bn blackhole.
She claimed the changes would protect working people, and reforms to inheritance tax and Agricultural Business Relief would only affect the very wealthiest.
