Scottish farmers will protest outside Parliament building
27th November 2024
Tomorrow, on 28th November, farmers, land managers as well as countryside and industry workers, along with their families, will descend on Holyrood to peacefully signify the anger and frustration built up in rural Scotland.
It comes after similar demonstrations have been taking place across the country in response to the recent Autumn Budget announcement.
Thousands of farmers and rural workers gathered at a protest on Whitehall, Westminster, on 19th November, while farmers and tractors picketed outside the Welsh Labour Party conference in Llandudno, Wales, the weekend before.
Last Monday evening, thousands of farmers in Northern Ireland gathered at a rally to oppose inheritance tax changes at the Eikon Exhibition Centre in Lisburn.
The protest in Edinburgh organised by NFU Scotland (NFUS), set to start at 11:30am. Protesters will hear from industry representatives who will, among other things, be calling for the Scottish Government, MSPs and officials to guarantee that the Scottish Budget on Wednesday, 4th December, will deliver increased and ringfenced funding for Scotland’s farmers and crofters.
READ MORE: Cornwall: Over 100 tractors took part in farmers’ protest
READ MORE: Tens of thousands of farmers descend on Westminster
NFU Scotland president Martin Kennedy said: “All those who want a thriving rural economy in Scotland should come to rally outside Holyrood on Thursday 28th November to seek guarantees that the Scottish Government’s forthcoming budget on 4th December supports farming, crofting and all that we deliver.
“As a result of the recent UK Budget, decisions on how Scotland supports agriculture now rest exclusively with the Scottish Government and this rally is not just for all farmers and crofters to attend but all those thousands of Scottish businesses, upstream and downstream, who are reliant on a vibrant rural economy for their livelihoods can also show their support and join the rally.”
READ MORE: GALLERY: Farmers head to London en masse to protest against family farm tax
‘Rural community needs to make its voice heard’
A statement on the NFUS website reads: ‘The recent UK budget has sent shock waves through the agricultural industry. Firstly, with decisions made around Agricultural and Business Property Relief, hence the reason so many of us attended the mass lobby in London on Tuesday 19th November.
‘But secondly and just as importantly, is the decision taken by the UK Government to discontinue the safety net of a ringfenced budget for Scottish agriculture, after more than five decades.
‘This now means that it is entirely up to the Scottish Government how much support it will give to farming and crofting from the increased block grant that it has received. The agriculture budget is now competing with every other portfolio for funding from that grant.’
It adds: ‘This rally is for everyone associated with our industry, whether they are an NFU Scotland member or not, so please encourage others to attend’.
The Scottish Countryside Alliance (SCA) will be in attendance to support this rally on behalf of its members and supporters.
In a statement, the SCA said: ‘To anyone who lives and works in the Scottish countryside, it is evident that things are getting harder. Fuel is expensive, red tape continues to hamper effective land management and now the new Westminser government’s budget plans are set to cripple an already struggling community’.
Jake Swindells, SCA’s director, added: “It is abundantly clear that our countryside is being hit unfairly with recent Budget measures such as the pickup truck tax on top of the gruelling family farm tax.
“These are just two examples from an ever-growing list of reasons why the countryside is deeply frustrated and anxious about the future. The rural community needs to make its voice heard”.
Programme
| Speaker | Time | |
| Martin Kennedy, President, NFU Scotland | 12:30 – 12:40 | |
| Ben McClymont, Chair, NFU Scotland Next Generation Ally Brunton, Chair, Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs | 12:40 – 12:50 | |
| Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSPMinister for Agriculture and Connectivity, Jim Fairlie MSP | 13:00 – 13:10 | |
| Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party Russell Findlay MSPScottish Conservative Party Spokesperson for Rural Affairs Tim Eagle MSP | 13:20 – 13:30 | |
| Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP | 13.30 – 13.35 | |
| Scottish Labour Party | tbc |
Important rally information
To ensure the safety of those on site, please note:
- The rally is only being held outside the Scottish Parliament building. We will not attempt to enter the building, obstruct entrances or exits or interfere with others using the area. We will not interfere or seek to disrupt the functioning of the Parliament.
- Attendees must not climb on the building or access areas where we have no authorisation to be.
- No banners, posters or leaflets can be attached to any part of the parliament land including, building, railings and bollards.
- The rally ends at 2pm and everything brought by attendees will need to be removed from the site after this time.
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