Farmers will continue to escalate their protest actions “throughout January and the year” unless the Government reverses its planned inheritance tax changes, a campaign group leader has warned.
Alan Miller, co-founder of Together, told GB News that farmers were prepared to “ramp things up” following today’s demonstration in Oxford.
Protesters gathered outside the Oxford Farming Conference with banners reading “Ditch the Family Farm Tax” and “Fight the Tax”.
As Environment Secretary Steve Reed addressed the conference, around 100 tractors outside continuously honked their horns, with the noise audible inside the venue.
Alan Miller has warned Labour that farmers are prepared to ‘ratchet things up’ if there is no move on their inheritance tax raid
PA / GB News
Speaking to GB News, Miller said his organisation was working with Farmers To Action, who have “thousands of farmers in counties” ready for rolling protests.
“We’re going to see a continuation of this tomorrow and throughout the month and throughout the year until the Government listens to us,” Miller said.
Miller warned that if the inheritance tax changes proceed, “there will be no more food on the shelves. Because there won’t be any farmers in Britain to do it”.
The Together co-founder urged the public to engage with their MPs over the issue, praising the public support for farmers so far since Labour’s Budget announcement.
Farmers carried out their latest demonstration at the conference in Oxford
PA
“We’re encouraging everyone to write to their MPs, you can go to Together declaration, tell your MP what you think today,” he said.
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The campaign group leader said Environment Secretary Steve Reed and the Government “needs to listen” and reverse the inheritance tax changes.
Miller told GB News: “Steve Reed and the Government needs to listen. They need to go back on the inheritance tax. It’s not just farmers, it’s also family businesses.
“And the all of the Labour MPs in rural constituencies are going to feel this. They’re going to feel this in the May elections. They need to listen and turn this around, and everyone will make their voices heard together.”
The Government has said it aims to make the system fairer and discourage wealthy people from investing in land solely to avoid tax.
Miller told GB News that protests could continue ‘throughout the year’ unless Labour address the demands
GB News
Speaking at the conference, Environment Secretary Steve Reed acknowledged the inheritance tax changes were “very unwelcome”.
“It wasn’t something we intended or wanted to do before we saw the state of the public finances, and of course, I regret that, but we tried to make it a little easier,” he told farmers.
Reed later told the BBC the changes were a “difficult decision” forced by the “appalling financial inheritance” from the previous government.
He emphasised his priority was “putting money straight into the pockets” of farmers.
