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Farmers march in London on foot against inheritance tax policy

4 March 2025 | by FarmingUK Team | Finance, News, Politics
Farmers were asked to leave tractors behind as the protest will be conducted on foot only
Farmers were asked to leave tractors behind as the protest will be conducted on foot only

Farmers have marched on foot in central London today as industry leaders continue to call on the government to reconsider its farm inheritance tax policy.

The Pancake Rally Day, which took place on Tuesday afternoon (4 March), aimed to show MPs the industry's willingness not to accept the controversial proposals in their current form.

Organisers of it - the same group behind the London rally in November 2024 - had asked protestors to conduct the protest on foot only and to leave machinery behind.

The march also took place against the backdrop of wider financial pressures, including high costs and low returns, and uncertainty over future policy.

However, it is the Labour government's reform of agricultural property relief (APR) that is the final straw for many, as farms worth more than £1m will incur a 20% inheritance tax charge from April 2026.

Since that announcement, and subsequent doubling down by the government, the industry has warned that family farms will see a 'catastrophic' impact to their businesses and livelihoods.

Farmers have now rallied in central London four times since the autumn budget, with dozens of protests staged elsewhere across the UK.

Victoria Vyvyan, Country Land and Business Association (CLA) president, who spoke at the rally, said: “The CLA will not give up, the entire industry will not give up, and we want answers.

"Why will the chancellor not meet us? Why won’t the Treasury consider the 'clawback' alternative that has the tax take, solves the problems and which has industry support?

"How does this government expect farmers to pay inheritance tax bills without breaking up their businesses?"

The NFU, whose president spoke at the rally, encouraged as many farmers to attend "as we collectively push to keep our campaign in the public and media eye".

The march took place near parliament, and then moved through Trafalgar Square, Northumberland Avenue and down The Embankment and then in to Parliament Square, before concluding at 3pm back on Whitehall.

Merseyside farmer Olly Harrison, one of the organisers behind the huge rally on 19 November, said about the event "we don’t need any tractors, this is on foot".

"We are going to have some kit to show to the MPs to explain the levels of investment," he said before the rally.

“We’ve sorted all that out, you just get yourself there on foot. Let’s explain the levels of investment needed in agriculture just to produce something simple like a pancake."

UK-wide rallies have taken place due to inheritance tax changes to agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR), with fears this would deal a 'hammer blow' to family farms.

Tightening margins, record inflation, extreme weather and increased production costs meant that many farmers were now at 'breaking point' and 'unable to absorb any more cost burden', according to farm bodies.

The tax changes could also increase food costs to consumers, farming bodies have warned, adding pressure to many still experiencing the cost-of-living crisis.