Farmers opposed to Budget inheritance tax changes have organised a splinter rally in London, after the National Farmers’ Union said it could not “take responsibility for people in the streets”.
The NFU has planned a “mass lobby” event on November 19 for its members to petition MPs to overturn changes in the Budget to agricultural property relief and business property relief.
The proposed event will see 1,800 NFU members, in three rotations of 600, lobby parliamentarians at Church House Westminster.
The NFU said there were “legal issues” preventing members turning up in large numbers on the streets of Westminster.
We want to keep the public on side. We don't want to bring the capital city to a stop, or disrupt roads
The Metropolitan Police said it had not banned anyone from marching on November 19, adding that the NFU had emphasised its event “will not be a protest”.
The organiser of the splinter rally, Clive Bailye, founder of The Farming Forum, said he was “totally in support” of the NFU’s event but added it was “very limited”.
Mr Bailye, an arable farmer from Staffordshire, told the PA news agency: “They weren’t organising a rally. They weren’t organising a march-type event.
“It was becoming very obvious that farmers were desperate for somebody to take the lead and organise something else.”
Mr Bailye has organised a separate rally to the NFU event on the same date, adding there were 2,000 registrations in the first two hours of the event being launched.
The farmer said he could see the number of attendees “getting past 10,000”.
Mr Bailye added: “We’re not wanting to take that European, French farmer route of burning tyres in the street and inconveniencing everybody.
“So we’re positively saying ‘don’t bring tractors, don’t cause problems, this is peaceful’.
“We want to keep the public on side. We don’t want to bring the capital city to a stop or disrupt roads.”
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said the union was “supporting” the alternative event.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “What we cannot do is take responsibility for people in the streets.
“There is now a complementary event being organised by a group of farmers. We are supporting them.
“We are organising our event, and we are cooperating and working with the other event, but we are not taking responsibility for the other event.”
He added that the NFU’s event had to be in a “very controlled environment” so MPs “feel safe that they will want to meet with their constituents”.
In a post on its website, the NFU said: “We cannot risk either member or public safety, or the loss of public support, that could come from what could be an illegal demonstration.”
Mr Bradshaw said the Budget had been “hugely inflationary” for food production, adding the “farming industry has nothing left to give”.
The NFU president said: “These last five years of volatility since Covid and then the Ukraine war means farmers have done everything they can to absorb any cost increases, but there is nothing left in the coffers, so it really has to go up the supply chain.”
We are aware that there are a number of events being planned currently in relation to the recent Budget announcements affecting farmers.
Mr Bailye said the changes in the Budget could lead to “the end of the family farm”.
He added: “I understand what they were trying to achieve – there has been some abuse of these tax reliefs, not by farmers, but by some wealthy investors.
“I totally get why they’re just not right and they needed closing up, but they’ve got their numbers wrong to do that.
“I’m hopeful the Government will sit down, actually do some proper numbers, and go and talk to some proper agricultural economists.”
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “We are aware that there are a number of events being planned currently in relation to the recent Budget announcements affecting farmers.
“The National Farmers’ Union have emphasised that their event at a conference centre in Westminster on 19 November will not be a protest. This is not on advice from the Metropolitan Police, and at no point have we banned anyone from marching on this date.
“We will work with any organisation or individual wishing to organise a peaceful protest or demonstration in London and continue to speak with the NFU.
“We are also aware of a separate rally being planned by a group of farmers in central London on the same date. We are speaking with the organisers to work with them as they plan their event.”
