Farmers from North Wales protest during Welsh Labour conference
18th November 2024
Last Saturday, farmers in North Wales gathered outside Venue Cymru, which hosted the Welsh Labour conference, to showcase their dissatisfaction with changes to the inheritance tax.
Changes to the inheritance tax announced at Autumn Budget have faced a backlash from farmers across the UK.
From April 2026, Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) will be capped at £1 million in total per owner.
PM Keir Starmer said during the conference that he would defend the Budget “all day long” for taking “tough decisions that were necessary to stabilise our economy”.
He added: “I will defend facing up to the harsh light of fiscal reality, defend tough decisions that were necessary to stabilise our economy, and I will defend protecting the payslips of working people, fixing the foundations of our economy, and investing in the future of Britain and the future of Wales, finally turning the page on austerity – once and for all.”
Protesters sounded their horns outside Venue Cymru when the PM was speaking. However, he did not mention farmers in his speech nor talk to the ones gathered outside.
Deputy Welsh first minister and rural affairs secretary Huw Irranca-Davies met a delegation of farmers and spoke to the farming unions.
READ MORE: What does the Budget really mean for farming?
READ MORE: “We don’t need small farmers”, says former Labour adviser
Wales 🏴
— James Melville 🚜 (@JamesMelville) November 16, 2024
Farmers’ tractor 🚜 convoy head towards Llandudno ahead of the Welsh Labour conference where Keir Starmer will be giving a speech. pic.twitter.com/0mrt3SksC7
‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you’
The protest organisers, Digon yw Digon, said: “Enough is enough. Our government isn’t working or listening to us. This is an opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with farmers and rural communities.
“We call on everyone to attend in solidarity, whether by walking, driving or bringing agricultural vehicles such as tractors, slurry tankers, lorries, or 4x4s with trailers,” The Guardian reported.
Farmer Gareth Wyn Jones said that the gathering has shown farmers’ solidarity and expressed their frustration.
He added: “We were peaceful, we went there on numbers to ask Welsh Labour and to ask Keir Starmer to look at these policies across the board before it’s too late.”
Mr Jones said that a letter was also delivered to PM Starmer, which starts with ‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you’.
Family farms in danger
If spread over a period of ten years, this would require the farm to allocate 159% of its profit each year to cover the tax bill. To meet this bill, successors could be compelled to sell 20% of their land.
Similarly, a 250-acre arable farm owned between a couple in the way the Chancellor expects to be possible with an expected annual profit of £34,130 would face an IHT liability of £267,000, amounting to 78% of its profit each year over a decade.
READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson will rally with other farmers on 19th November
London protest
Another farming demonstration is set to take place tomorrow, 19th November, in London.
The participants will meet at Richmond Terrace, Whitehall, London (What3Words fresh.butter.grapes), opposite Downing Street, at 11am.
Speakers from across agriculture, TV and politics are due to show their support for family farms and wider businesses.
Following several speeches, a procession will take place to Parliament Square. The procession will be spearheaded by a number of children on toy tractors, signifying the impact of the devastating budget on the future of farming and the countryside.
The procession will then return to Richmond Terrace for the final address by NFU president, Tom Bradshaw.
READ MORE: Chancellor announces “hammer blow” reforms to agricultural property relief
READ MORE: Cross-party MPs slam “betrayal” of farmers in Budget
Read more farm business news.
