1 week ago
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British farmers are not known for being radical, but on Tuesday thousands came to the capital to demonstrate. Many had wellies on, some were driving tractors, others carrying baskets of produce – and all were angry.
Lucy Hough went to the protest to speak to the marchers, where people whose farms have been in their families for generations explained how they feared the government’s plans to introduce inheritance tax on farms could be the end of their family business. They pointed to long hours and low profits and said they felt politicians did not understand rural voters.
Heather Stewart, the Guardian’s economics editor, explains how the row came about. She tells Helen Pidd why Rachel Reeves announced the inheritance tax as part of the budget as a way to increase public spending and why the government felt wealthy landowners would be the ones targeted. Yet with so much upset among farmers will the government backtrack?
