'Family farm tax could ruin my farm and the ability to leave it to my children' says farmer on Gloucester tractor protest

A meet and drive protest of tractors along roads in Gloucester has taken place in the city today amid a national protest in Westminster, London. The protest by the agricultural community comes on the back of planned agricultural property relief changes by the government.

Changes to inheritance tax for farms announced by the first Labour Budget since 2010 have not gone down well with farmers as from April 2026, inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m, which were previously exempt, will have to pay inheritance tax at 20 per cent - half the usual rate. There have been claims and debates about how many farms will be affected with some agricultural experts and politicians claiming as many as 70,000 to as few as 500 farms.

Closer to home here in Gloucestershire, Chris King has been farming in Minsterworth for all his life and felt the need to organise this protest because it needed to be a unified show of support for the farming industry in the county as well as highlighting the community's resentment of the government's policies.

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The protest saw a sizeable amount of farmers turn up at St Oswald's Retail Park in the city as they drove their tractors along major roads such as Eastern Avenue, Secunda Way and Hempsted Lane. No traffic problems were caused as they left St Oswald's and there were a few supporting 'beeps' from other vehicle drivers.

"I've farmed all my life, my father farmed all his life," Chris told Gloucestershire Live." I just don't like how the government are treating agriculture and I'm not very happy with the changes to inheritance tax, a family farm tax that potentially will ruin my farm and the ability to leave it to my children."

Chris does not believe that the government's figures add up and speaking in a personal capacity, NFU Group Secretary and NFU Mutual Agent for Gloucester Dai Briley argues that this protest in the city and in Westminster is more than just about finance for farmers but also the emotional stress it will add to the community.

Acknowledging that it has been a difficult time for farmers for the past few years even before the newly-elected Labour government, Dai said: "It is really important for the government to understand that the impact of the decisions they've made will be far-reaching. In reality every small family farm will be affected by these changes and not just the inheritance tax but also the increase in National Insurance contributions."

Environment Secretary Steve Reed has suggested that wealthy landowners who are the target of the tax change could plan to minimise their exposure. He said: “The only ones that will be affected – it will be around 500 – will be the very wealthiest or the biggest farms. They can plan their tax affairs just like any other business plans their tax affairs as well.”

He added: “The vast majority of farms will not be affected by these changes to inheritance tax, but it’s only right that we ask the very wealthiest to pay their fair share, otherwise we can’t fix services like the National Health Service that farmers rely on and people living in rural communities, just like everybody else. It’s very important that we listen to farmers, but I would say to farmers, this Government is backing farming in the UK."