The head of Farmers to Action has warned that British farming could disappear within “two generations” due to Labour’s proposed inheritance tax raid.
Justin Rogers told GB News that the tax plans represent “the final straw that has basically broken the camel’s back” for the farming industry.
His stark warning came after farmers staged a major protest at a Morrisons distribution centre in Somerset, the latest in a string of demonstrations against the Labour Government.
“If we don’t do something this time, British agriculture will be over and it’ll be over in two generations, and that’s maximum,” Rogers said.
Justin Rogers hit out at Chancellor Rachel Reeves as Farmers to Action continue their protests
PA / GB News
He explained that if a third of most people’s farms are taken away through taxation, they will be unable to sustain operations for the next generation.
Rogers highlighted to GB News that farm size no longer guarantees profitability in today’s market.
He told the People’s Channel: “We’ve had inches taken away from us over the years on a multitude of things, and the inheritance tax is like the final straw that has basically broken the camel’s back.
“And if we don’t do something this time, British agriculture will be over and it’ll be over in two generations, and that’s maximum.”
“Now a 300, 400 or 500-acre farm is making no more profit than a hundred acre farm.”
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Rogers also said that the Farmers to Action network was created to unite “fractured farming communities”, and stressed that farmers want to engage in negotiations with the Labour Party to address their concerns for the future.
He explained: “This isn’t just about us. We are here to represent our country. We want to get to the negotiating table and speak with the likes of the Labour Party and get things sorted out.
“We’ve got reiterate, we’ve got to be heard and things have got to be sorted, because there’s going to be no food made in Britain, and that’s the way it goes.”
While declining to specify future protest plans, Rogers emphasised the broader implications of their campaign and the “bigger picture at play”.
Rogers told GB News that the farming industry has been ‘fractured’ for ‘too long’
GB News
Rogers concluded: “If there is no food made in Britain in a grand way, there’s no competitive market – meaning all this cheap stuff that’s brought in will escalate, and there’ll be no competition to back against it.
“The consumers have obviously been aware of the incident, and if they only knew chemicals that come in on imported food, they would really start opening their eyes to what would be better, having British and backing British.”
He stated: “So as farmers, we’re here to protect our farms and hopefully protect people’s food and everyone’s future.
“This is more than just about us, this is a bigger picture at play.”
