Secondly, contested notions of fairness are so often central to the most contentious political arguments, and this one is no different.
The government argues existing inheritance tax isn’t fair or sustainable – as everyone else sufficiently well off to pay it is charged 40% and farmers are charged nothing.
Ministers also argue the exemptions have tempted rich folk to buy up farm land – pushing up its value – primarily to avoid inheritance tax.
And, as they are at pains to point out over and over again, they insist the vast majority of family farms will be unaffected and those that are will be charged 20%, half the rate charged to anyone else caught within its grasp.
Plus, they say, schools and hospitals desperately need more money.
Others say the farmers are a noisy, well-organised lobby group seeking to shield their often considerable wealth and perpetuate a privilege to the exclusion of others.
And all this brings us to the third big question here: what does it mean to be rich?
Talking to farmers, very quickly our conversation would often involve very big numbers – talk of assets running into a few million pounds.
These are huge figures that point to considerable wealth and yet the farmers insist, for two reasons, they are not rich.
Their annual income is often modest, they point out – and they don’t value their farm in numerical terms, but in emotional ones. The prospect of selling it horrifies them; handing it on is what they seek to do.
The farmers insist they are determined to press on with their campaign.
Ministers insist they are determined to press on with their plans for change.
You may choose to sympathise with the farmers’ arguments or not – or the government’s arguments, or not – but the protests offer an insight into what contributes to the view of many of the farmers, and why them backing down doesn’t seem likely any time soon.
