Thousands of British farmers gathered this Tuesday in the center of London to protest against increases in taxes included in the first budget of the new Government labor of the United Kingdom. Some taxes that include the application of a inheritance tax of 20% on agricultural properties valued at more than one million pounds sterling (1.2 million euros) and which have put a sector suffocated by low profit margins, inclement weather and the consequences of the Brexit. The protest, which has brought together nearly 10,000 people – according to data from the metropolitan police – has been supported by the leaders of the main opposition parties.
Representatives of the sector consider that the inheritance tax, from which until now agricultural properties were exempt, will mean the end of farms families and will benefit large corporations. “We know what this means for our families, for our children, for our future. We know the terrible pressure that older generations of farmers who have given everything to feed this country are under,” said Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers Union (NFU) in a speech this morning. “The human impact of this policy It is simply unacceptable. “It’s a mistake,” he added.
He Labor government He assures that the inheritance tax will not affect the smallest farms and points out that only 27% of the total will have to pay the new tax. Some data that has been contested by the NFU, which argues that around 75% will be business affected farmers. “First they said this policy would protect ‘most farms.’ When they couldn’t hold that line, they switched to saying they were protecting ‘small family farms.’ And when that fell apart last night, they went on to suggest that this policy disaster would make ‘the most valuable holdings pay’. This is not a policy built on solid foundations,” Bradshaw said.
Social unrest
The protest took place in front of the British Government headquarters in Downing Streetwhere protesters have begun to gather early in the morning despite the cold and drizzle. Among those attending is James Strang, a farmer from the outskirts of London. “The inheritance tax will put an end to family farms. The figures that the Government is using are false, they have no idea about reality,” he says in statements to El Periódico. At his side, Tim Russell-Smith, a farmer from Wales, agrees with him. “Family farms must have between 100 and 500 acres to be viable – between 40 and 200 hectares – and they all exceed the limit set by the Government. Small farmers are the backbone of the production of food in this country, without us this production will be reduced more and more,” he assures.
For David Johnson, farm owner in Scotlandthe decision of the Government of Keir Starmer It demonstrates the lack of understanding with a sector that is going through its own difficulties. “Many people will be left without their businesses and the next generations will be expelled from their lands. This opens the door for large corporations to take over all the properties.” Johnson points out that the new tax will force many descendants to sell a part of the landsomething he intends to avoid by transferring the property to his children with enough notice to avoid paying the new tax. “The Government says that it wants to promote economic growth but this will create the opposite effect. “We will all suffer from this,” he adds.
Opposition rejection
The protest has had the support of representatives of the main parties of the oppositionboth of left as of right. Among them the leader of the Conservative Party; the head of the Liberal Democratic Party, Ed Davey; and the leader of the populist right-wing party Reform UK, Nigel Farage. The Verdes and the environmental organization Greenpeacewhich has asked the Government for investments of 6,000 million pounds (7,200 million euros) to help environmentally friendly farms environmentas well as a special tax on the “enormous profits” of the supermarkets and large agricultural holdings.
The Executive, however, has been firm in its decision and has held the previous Conservative Government responsible for the measures adopted. “We all feel betrayed by the state in which the conservatives left the economy. A 22 billion pound black hole is no small problem. It’s huge, and fixing it is necessary if we want to stabilize the economy and rebuild our public services“said the Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Steve Reedto the BBC. Labor highlights that the 20% tax on agricultural properties is still well below that applied to other properties, 40%, and insists that the majority of farms will be exempt from paying it.
