November 2024 United Kingdom farmers' protests
| November 2024 United Kingdom farmers' protests | |||
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| Date | 19 November 2024 – ongoing | ||
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| Caused by |
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| Methods | Protests, lobbying | ||
| Status | Ongoing | ||
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In November 2024, protests were organised by farmer organisations in London against new inheritance tax laws on agricultural land. The measures were included in the October 2024 budget of the Labour government, resulting in thousands of British farmers protesting in Parliament Square and addressing MPs directly in parliament.
Taxation
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The dispute centred on changes to inheritance tax on agricultural assets. Previously, the intergenerational transfer of farms had been exempt from taxation as a result of a 1992 tax break.[1][2]
In November 2024, the newly elected Labour government announced plans to remove this tax exemption for farms valued over £1,000,000 in order to generate revenue for public services.[2] Set to take effect in April 2026, the new policy would see a 20% inheritance tax on farm valued over that threshold, half the usual rate of inheritance tax, and could be paid across ten years.[2] The inheritance tax exemption would remain in place for farms valued below the £1,000,000 threshold.[1][2]
Opposition to the change from farmers stemmed from the claim that farmers, while asset rich, are cash poor, which they said would create a situation where some inheriting families would have to sell farm land to meet tax obligations. Supporters of the change claimed that farmers had been manipulating the tax break to avoid taxation on profits.[1]
Organisations representing British farm owners said income declined across various agricultural sectors in the year ending February 2024, with some farms experiencing revenue drops exceeding 70%. Average annual incomes ranged from a modest £17,000 for livestock grazing operations to £143,000 for specialised poultry farms, further exacerbating the thinness of profit margins despite high land valuations.[3][4][2]
The scale of potential impact is a point of contention. Government figures suggested the measure would affect approximately 27 percent of farms in the UK (approximately 56,700 farms),[5] equivalent to 500 farms annually.[1] The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) suggested that 35 percent of farms (approximately 70,000 farms) would be impacted.[1][2] BBC Verify said their analysis suggests the actual numbers were likely to be closer to those from the government than the CLA's.[5]
Protests
On 19 November, thousands of farmers gathered on Parliament Square in London to protest against the planned agricultural inheritance taxation policies. The National Farmers' Union (NFU), through its president, Tom Bradshaw, promised sustained protest activities until their concerns were adequately addressed. The organisation characterised the tax measure as having "disastrous human impacts" on farming communities.[1]
Amongst the protestors were demonstrators carrying banners and megaphones while children rode toy tractors around Parliament Square. Despite organisers' requests to avoid bringing agricultural machinery into London, a small group of real tractors proceeded past Downing Street, necessitating a Metropolitan Police response. Jeremy Clarkson addressed one group, calling the tax hikes a "hammer blow to the back of the head" of British agriculture.[4][6] A BBC News journalist put to him comments Clarkson had made previously in the Times, saying he had only got into farming to avoid taxes.[7] The General Secretary of the NFU said that more extreme actions could be taken if the Government didn't U-turn.[6]
The protest included a coordinated lobbying effort involving 1,800 farmers entering Parliament to press their case directly with Members of Parliament (MPs).[3] NFU leaders engaged with approximately 150 MPs, warning of potential food shortages and the dissolution of family farming traditions. There were also concerns from some farmers that the change could lead to dependence on natural disaster-vulnerable foreign food imports from countries like Peru, Spain, or Portugal.[6]
Farmers who ploughed through No entry barriers are to be reported.[relevant?][6]
Responses
The prime minister, Keir Starmer, responded to concerns by saying that the actual threshold for inheritance tax liability could reach up to as high as £3,000,000 pounds once various exemptions were applied, including considerations for couples and specific agricultural property relief.[1][6]
The secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, Steve Reed defended the tax changes as a measure to counter wealthy investors using agricultural land for tax avoidance, stating it had become "the most effective way for the super rich to avoid paying their inheritance tax."[3]
The National Farmers' Union said that more than 60% of farms could be impacted by tax implications. The organisation's deputy president, David Exwood, said that the government had "completely blown their trust with the industry."[3]
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said that she would U-turn on the move if the Conservatives were elected in the next general election.[6]
British campaigner Guy Shrubsole said that while people were debating the change in inheritance tax, that 350 aristocratic estates remained inheritance tax exempt due to being counted under the ‘tax-exempt heritage assets’ scheme. He urged the government to close this tax loophole.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "British farmers protest against 'tractor tax' on inheritance". AlJazeera. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Horton, Helena (19 November 2024). "What are the key arguments in the farm inheritance tax debate?". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Thousands of UK farmers descend on Parliament to protest a tax they say will ruin family farms". AP News. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Farmers march in inheritance tax protest in London". BBC News. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Explaining the farming tax change row". BBC News. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "NFU chief hints farmers could take more extreme action after inheritance tax protest". Independent. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ "Clarkson clashes with BBC over inheritance tax comment". BBC News. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
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