The prime minister has said 'there is a choice' between NHS waiting lists coming down and maintaining the agricultural property tax relief for farmers.
Sir Keir Starmer made the comments on live television today (13 February) after being forced to leave a visit to a housing development in Milton Keynes early due to nearby protesting farmers.
Speaking to Sky News after, he said: "These are political choices, but what you can't have is interest rates coming down, the growth we need in the economy, your waiting lists coming down, and maintain the tax break for farmers.
"People watching this will understand that that is a choice. They will know what they would prefer."
It came just a day after the government was criticised at PMQs following comments made by farming minister Daniel Zeichner, who told farmers at the Norfolk Farming Conference that they were 'not high up on the government's pecking order’.
The controversial comments, including today's made by the prime minister, follow the farming industry's latest protest in Whitehall on Monday, the third rally in the capital since the autumn budget.
Concern is centred on the government's reform agricultural property relief (APR) from April 2026, meaning farms worth more than £1m will incur a 20% inheritance tax charge.
Rural campaigners have argued that 75% of farms could be impacted by the changes, while other estimates suggest that 2,500 farmers a year would be hit, five times as many as official forecasts.
However, the prime minister implied on Sky News today that the public had a choice between maintaining this tax relief or seeing hospital waiting lists come down.
He said: "Do they want their waiting lists to come down, do they want their mortgages to come down, the economy to start working for everyone? That is what we are trying to achieve.
"Or do we want to give tax breaks for farmers? We can't have both."
Richard Miles, a farmer from Northamptonshire, travelled to take part in the protest in Milton Keynes, which was organised by newly formed campaign group Farmers To Action.
He told the PA news agency: "We are not being listened to at all. That’s why we feel we have to come and see him in person.”
Last week, the entire UK food manufacturing industry joined forces to urge the government to rethink its changes.
A total of 57 businesses across the food supply chain, including all of the UK's major supermarkets and major food processors, voiced their concern in a new letter.
The NFU is also set to 'bring to life' the effect of the proposals with a display of agricultural machinery and toy tractors outside its conference in London later this month.
The union is asking for donations of 'pre-loved' farm toys and other agricultural memorabilia as part of its ongoing campaign to stop Labour's 'family farm tax'.
