Peta activists jump on stage at NFU Conference
25th February 2025
Two activists wearing carrot masks interrupted Tom Bradshaw’s opening speech at the NFU Conference urging the audience to go vegan for the planet.
Activists from the animal rights lobby group Peta UK jumped onstage as NFU president Tom Bradshaw welcomed farmers to the annual NFU Conference.
The two activists had donned carrot masks and carried a banner saying ‘Root for the Planet. Go Vegan.’
To audible groans from the crowd, one of the two protesters began by shouting:
“Root for the planet. Farming animals is unsustainable, we must switch to plant-based.”
A member of the audience then reached up and snatched the banner away, to cheers from the crowd.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Peta UK said it is calling for an end to ‘government subsidies’ for the meat, egg, and dairy industries. It wants to see greater support plant-based farming instead.
Morally wrong
During his opening address Mr Bradshaw said the family farm tax, which will see farms over £1 million in value forced to pay 20% inheritance tax from April 2026, is “morally wrong and economically flawed”.
He accused the Labour government of breaking a promise to farmers, wiping out their “ability to plan, to invest, and often, to hope”.
Mr Bradshaw also shared his concerns for tenant farmers who risk losing their livelihoods if landowners decide they’re better off taking their land back; as well as elderly farmers who have had no time to plan for the change.
He concluded by saying: “We will not stop, we will not give in. We will fight the family farm tax until ministers do the right thing.”
Steve Reed’s pledge to boost profits
Meanwhile, secretary of state Steve Reed took the stage pledging to improve profitability for farmers.
Plans announced during the event include: an extension to the seasonal worker route, new requirements for government catering contracts to favour local farms, and investments in grants.
However, Mr Reed said he “can’t give the answer I know many of you want on inheritance tax”.
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