'They've destroyed us': More than 100 farmers protest against changes to inheritance tax with rally on A303

Kurt Morton, 39, was one of over 100 that took part in the protest along the A303, Hamphsire, on Friday, January 10.

The rally, which spanned almost three miles and was organised by Farmers To Action, was to protest against the inheritance tax rules for farmers.

He said: “Us farmers, you have to push us before we ignite but we have been pushed all the way along now.

“We don’t want to be doing this.”

Kurt is a fifth generation mixed farmer and he said that the changes being made to the tax could impact whether his children remain in the industry.

The farmer said his 600-acre farm in Hampshire is worth ‘a lot of money’ and estimates tax changes could cost him from £1 million to £1.5 million.

The changes being made to inheritance tax for farmers will come into effect next April. Farmers currently have 100 per cent relief from inheritance tax which means they leave land to their children when they die and they would not have to pay tax.

The changes being made will mean the tax relief will be capped at the first £1m of combined agricultural and business property. If land or property is worth more than this, landowners will have to pay 20 per cent inheritance tax from next year.

Kurt added: “We have no money and we don’t earn anything from it.

“We are not greedy as farmers, we just want to make a decent living.

“They’ve destroyed us as an industry.”

He said the current Government has carried on a tradition of not looking out for farmers.

One tractor had a placard on its front which read: “No farmers, no food. Axe the tax.”

On Thursday, January 9, Mr Reed repeated Labour’s claims of a £22 billion black hole in the nation’s finances left by the last government.

He said: “I’m sorry that some of the action we had to take shocked you in turn, but stable finances are the foundation of the economic growth needed.”

Last November, an estimated 13,000 people descended on Whitehall to protest against the changes to agricultural inheritance tax.

A Government spokesperson said: “Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast – we have committed £5 billion to the farming budget over two years, including more money than ever for sustainable food production, and we are developing a 25-year farming roadmap, focusing on how to make the sector more profitable in the decades to come.

“Our reform to Agricultural and Business Property Relief will impact around 500 estates a year.

“For these estates, inheritance tax will be at half the rate paid by others, with 10 years to pay the liability back interest free. This is a fair and balanced approach which fixes the public services we all rely on.”