Keir Starmer abandons visit after loud protest by angry farmers in tractors
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was forced to abandon a visit to a housing project near Milton Keynes after around a dozen tractors blocked the road to voice their anger over inheritance tax
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was forced to abandon a visit to a housing project near Milton Keynes after around a dozen tractors blocked the road to voice their anger over inheritance taxVideo Loading
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Farmer protest during Keir Starmer's visit to housing development
Keir Starmer was forced to abandon a visit after being heckled by angry farmers on tractors.
The PM was at a building site close to Milton Keynes when the road was blocked by loud protesters. They blasted horns and shouted as he looked around.
This led to planned media interviews being postponed and the visit being cut short. Mr Starmer faced the fury of farmers over changes to inheritance tax - which will close a lucrative tax break exempting agricultural land.
The Government says the move will affect owners of farms worth more than £3million. It is the latest in a string of protests demanding the policy is reversed.
Farmer Richard Miles, who travelled from Welford, Northamptonshire, said: "We are not being listened to at all, that's why we feel we have to come and see him in person."
As the car carrying the Prime Minister left the site, farmers could be heard shouting "just talk to us". The protesters were carrying signs stating 'Back British Farming' and 'No British farming, no food'.
The loud protest caused the Prime Minister's visit to be cut short (
Image:
Farmers To Action)
The 20% inheritance tax rate - half that for everyone else - replaces two types of relief worth up to 100%. The Government has said it has no plans to back down, pointing out that Rachel Reeves' Budget included ploughing £5billion into farming over the next two years.
The PM's visit was being held to promote the Government's plan to build dozens of new towns across England. A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: "Thames Valley Police facilitated a peaceful protest off the A509 and liaised with the protesters at the scene.
"Officers from the local policing team engaged with the protesters. No arrests were made or necessary. The protest has reached its conclusion and the group are now dispersing from the area."
Farmers demanded a word with the Prime Minister (
Image:
PA)
The Government has faced a bitter backlash since announcing the shake-up of inheritance tax rules for farmers. Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson said in 2021 that avoiding inheritance tax was the "crucial thing" that encouraged him to buy the 1,000 acre Diddly Squat farm near Chipping Norton.
In December Dr Arun Advani, director of Centre for the Analysis of Taxation, told the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee: “Less than half of the estates who are claiming agricultural relief have any income from farming anywhere in the five years before death.
"About 44% of the claims are from people you would think of as farmers.” The others, he said, are “a mix of people who own a house and some pony paddocks or who own land and let it out to a lot of people but are not involved in any farming in any way.”