London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – London’s Whitehall saw 1,500-2,000 farmers’ tractors protest on Budget day, defying police orders and causing major traffic disruption.
As reported by The Independent, farmers brought tractors to Whitehall on Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget day, defying a Metropolitan Police ban.
The protest comes as farmers push back against Ms Reeves’ inheritance tax on agricultural property over £1m, introduced last year.
The demonstration coincides with the chancellor preparing to deliver her second Budget amid slow productivity and expected tax increases.
What messages were farmers sending with their tractors on Budget day?
More than a dozen tractors had arrived outside Parliament by 9:30 am, with protest signs reading “Fools vote Labour” and “Beep if you eat!”
A farmer, dressed as Father Christmas, drove a tractor carrying a large spruce tree and a sign reading,
“Farmer Christmas – the naughty list: Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, David Lammy, Diane Abbott, Angela Rayner & the BBC.”
Protesters repeatedly honked their tractors, bringing rush-hour traffic to a standstill. The tractor protest went ahead despite Metropolitan Police restrictions, which limited vehicles to Richmond Terrace.
Dan Willis, a farmer from Berkshire and protest organiser, claimed the police were adding fuel to a “tinderbox situation” and said it was “impossible at this stage to stop farmers arriving.”
The 50-year-old farmer said,
“The Metropolitan Police, who have been extremely supportive all the way through, have obviously now received orders from further up for us not to have a static demonstration on Whitehall. Instead they have offered us a small strip of land and no tractors are allowed.”
He added,
“This is a highly emotive issue. We have farmers, most of whom left [their homes] yesterday, travelling across the country, and they are going to make their way to London and unfortunately they have now put us in an impossible position.”
According to The Telegraph, 1,500–2,000 tractors were making their way to London for the protest.
Farmers warn that the inheritance tax will threaten family-run businesses, forcing the next generation to sell land, amid the shift from post-Brexit direct payments to environment-led subsidies.
Speaking from Kent, David Gunn, an arable farmer and agricultural contractor near Sevenoaks, said,
“Inheritance tax is one reason [I am protesting], it’s going to cripple the farmers, the small family farmers.”
He added,
“There’s all the other taxes they’ve been putting on us, and the prices we get for our produce and what it costs in the shop, we don’t make any money. Then there’s food security, farmers are going out of business.”
Farmer Mark Watler from Grantham, Lincolnshire, stated,
“The inheritance tax is just the tip of the iceberg. We’re not doing it for the money; it’s a passion. We just want a fair deal.”
What did the Metropolitan police say about the farmers’ protest on Budget day?
A Met Police spokesman said,
“A protest is being organised by farmers for Wednesday 26 November in Westminster. We have had a number of conversations with the protest organisers to safely manage the event.”
They added,
“While people will still be able to demonstrate, conditions have been put in place to prevent protesters from bringing vehicles, including tractors or other agricultural vehicles to the protest. This decision was taken due to the serious disruption they may cause to the local area, including businesses, emergency services and Londoners going about their day. Any person taking part in the farmers’ protest must remain in Richmond Terrace, Whitehall.”
What did Rachel Reeves say about her plans for the Budget?
Rachel Reeves has pledged to make “fair and necessary choices” in the Budget, despite expectations of several tax rises.
The chancellor aims to cut the costs of government debt and may adjust her borrowing plans to preserve fiscal credibility.
Ahead of the Budget, she added,
“Today I will take the fair and necessary choices to deliver on our promise of change. I will not return Britain back to austerity, nor will I lose control of public spending with reckless borrowing. And I will push ahead with the biggest drive for growth in a generation.”
According to reports, Ms Reeves plans a “smorgasbord” strategy to raise taxes in the upcoming Budget.
Earlier this month, the chancellor scrapped plans to increase the main income tax rate, which would have broken a Labour manifesto pledge, after improved economic forecasts.
Ms Reeves intends to expand her fiscal headroom without deep spending cuts, with tax rises expected to be the primary tool to tackle the shortfall in public finances.
What is the inheritance tax?
Inheritance Tax is levied on the property, money, and possessions of someone who has died, typically applying if the estate’s value exceeds a set threshold.
The standard nil-rate band is £325,000, meaning estates valued below this threshold usually do not owe any inheritance tax.
