MORE than 1,400 tractors from across the country arrived at Westminster on Monday, January 10, blocking roads ahead of a Parliamentary debate on the government’s plans to cut inheritance tax relief for farms.

The so-called ‘new deal’ for UK agriculture will see the full 100 percent relief from inheritance tax restricted to the first £1-million of combined agricultural and business property from April 6, 2026.

One of the largest farming protests in recent history, the rally was organised by Farmers to Action to coincide with the debate on an e-petition launched by National Union of Famers and signed by more than 147,000 calling on the government the tax, framed a family farm tax by the union.

The petition states: “We think that changing inheritance tax relief for agricultural land will devastate farms nationwide, forcing families to sell land and assets just to stay on their property. We urge the government to keep the current exemptions for working farms.”

In December, the Conservative Party delivered a 215,465-signature strong petition to the Labour government calling for the reversal of their proposed inheritance tax changes.

Ahead of protest on Monday, the Conservative MP for Torridge and Tavistock Sir Geoffrey Cox said: “I shall be joining and supporting farming families today in their protest at the Labour Government’s breach of the explicit promises made by the Prime Minister and his party at the general election, just seven months ago, not to impose such a profoundly damaging tax on family farms.

“The impact of this callous tax on our local farming families and its consequent effect on rural communities will be out of all proportion to the money it raises. People may draw their own conclusions about what this says about a Labour government’s understanding and concern for rural interests.”

Nearly 50 MPs spoke at the debate of the e-petition on Monday afternoon, including many MPs from the South West.

Speaking about the statement the Prime Minister made to the NFU conference in 2023, Sir Geoffrey said: “It is that blow, aimed with unerring accuracy at the very heart of rural life, that is the reason for the outrage we do not hear only upon these benches today. Listen to the horns blowing outside.

“The time has come for the Ministry and the Ministers to accept that they are wrong. Their figures are wrong. They should change the policy.”

Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall Ben Maguire, who chaired his first meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on dairy last month said: “Almost all of the financial advice that farmers had sought until the Budget had included APR relief in their financial planning and how they would pass on their family farms to the next generation without this ill-thought-through tax.

“These changes will hit hundreds of family-run farms, many of which have been proudly looked after generation after generation by the same family. I must add that the mental health of my North Cornwall farmers has plummeted since this was introduced.”