Everything you need to know about the tractor rally in London 

The protesters are set to hit London’s streets as well as the centres of Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh, the founder of Save British Farming, Liz Webster, confirmed while talking to Farmers Guide last week. 

Farmers are set to gather at Whitehall, facing towards Parliament Square, between 10am and midday. Tractors will be able to enter the area via Trafalgar Square. 

Matt Cullen of Fairness for Farmers said: “You’ll be greeted by marshals to park you in various lanes. Once you parked, at midday there will be speeches done by various people.  

“After that we will be leaving Whitehall at 12.45 pm. And you’ve heard it right, we are taking these tractors on a protest around London.” 

The rally will finish at Parliament Square. 

READ MORE: Farmers’ tractor protest set to take place in four capitals on 11th December 

Tractor-only protest

The organisers said that this is a tractor-only protest; therefore, 4×4 or pickup trucks should not take part in the rally. 

Mr Cullen added: “Due to the volume of tractors we’ve got coming, we need all the space available for tractors. Vintage and classic tractors can come along, but they need to be roadworthy and road legal.” 

Protesters have also been reminded that they will have to pay a congestion fee for entering London on a tractor. 

More information in regards to banners brought to the rally will be released in due course. 

‘What future does farming have?’

Founder of campaign group Save British Farming, Liz Webster, said: “Tony Blair’s former advisor, John McTernan, blurted out recently that the Labour Party intends to do to farming what Thatcher did the mines.

“This anti-farming Stalinist offensive from the Labour government presents a real danger to us all, we rely on food to survive. Losing the ability to feed ourselves means a total loss of control, we learnt hard lessons in the last two world wars about the fact that food security is national security. 

“Keir Starmer must listen to farmers and step back from the brink and do what is right and best for our great country.”

Jeff Gibson, founder of Kent Fairness For Farmers, added: “We strive as farmers in this country to provide the public with the safest food and highest animal welfare in the world and that comes with a cost.

“We can’t compete with substandard dangerous imports for e.g. growth hormones have been banned in this country for over 50 years yet this new government who are about to get into bed with Trump for yet another terrible trade deal for hormone fed beef. This is where this cruel farm tax really starts to bite. In most cases we are happy and immensely proud to provide food without any real financial gain in the hope we can pass our farms, which we’ve worked so hard to protect and care for, to the next generation.

“The questions I ask you today are what future does farming have? Can we really expect the next generation to start their farming careers paying 10 years of tax burden because we died? My message to this government is I am happy to pay any tax to contribute to society like everyone else. But I can’t do that now with both arms tied behind my back.”

Read more political news.