UK farmers rally in London over inheritance tax changes PHOTO

Farmers and landowners from across the UK have gathered in Westminster in large numbers to protest proposed changes to inheritance tax ahead of the Chancellor’s budget later today.

Dozens of tractors, including combine harvesters, have arrived near Downing Street, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

One protester fed a mock-up of the 2024 budget into a harvester, shredding it in view of the crowd. Police have been preventing the vehicles from approaching the street itself.

The demonstration comes after the government announced that farms valued at more than £1m will no longer be fully exempt from inheritance tax. Instead, they will be liable to pay the tax at half the usual rate over a longer period.

Certain exceptions raise the minimum threshold for farms eligible for tax to £3m. These changes are due to take effect in April next year.

One farmer embraced the festive spirit by dressing as Father Christmas and driving a tractor carrying a large spruce tree. 

His vehicle bore a sign reading: "Farmer Christmas – the naughty list: Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, David Lammy, Diane Abbott, Angela Rayner & the BBC." The tractor was parked on Whitehall before police intervened.

Another protester brought a large rocket-shaped object to London, accompanied by a sign stating: "no farmers, no food."

By Aghakazim Guliyev