Farmers protest inheritance tax changes through tractor rally in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire

A dozen tractors made their way through Berkshire and Buckinghamshire towns on Saturday to protest against the Government’s changes to inheritance tax.

As part of the National Farmers Union’s (NFU) Farming Day of Unity, farmers across the local area took part in a tractor rally and met with local MPs to raise their concerns.

During last year’s Autumn Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced major reforms for agricultural property relief and business property relief.

Under the plans, agricultural and business assets worth more than £1m will be subject to inheritance tax at 20 per cent from April 2026.

The news has left farmers across the area concerned and, having driven their tractors to Parliament in November, many were highlighting the issue again at the weekend.

The day of action saw many residents take to the streets to witness the tractors pass through.

The farmers taking part included Colin Rayner, William Emmett, William Westacote, Nick Manderfield, Simon Rinder and Paul Rinder.

The tractors visited locations including Berkyn Manor Farm, in Staines; Windsor, Stroud Farm in Holyport; Wilton Farm in Little Marlow; and Lodge Farm in Marlow on their journey.

They met with Windsor MP Jack Rankin, Spelthorne MP Lincoln Jopp, Maidenhead MP Josh Reynolds, Beaconsfield MP Joy Morrissey and deputy president of the NFU David Exwood.

Colin Rayner, director at J Rayner & Sons Ltd, whose family has been farming in Colnbrook since 1551, said: “We just were so shocked that we went into Staines and people just stopped and clapped and cheered. That was just tremendous.”

Colin said farmers wanted to raise issues relating to the inheritance tax proposals and other farm taxes including on fertiliser and twin cabs; the rise in employer National Insurance contributions; and the Government taking away subsidies promised to farmers.

He said: “That has all just put a nail in the coffin.

“We’re already on our knees in the farming [community].”

He raised concerns over farmers in the area not surviving and said the Government is ‘taxing the wrong people’.

Farmer William Emmett, owner of Hornbuckle Farm in Hawthorne Hill, explained that where farmers have previously had financial support for food production, which has helped keep food prices low, the Labour Government has ‘dramatically slashed the payments’.

“It affects us majorly because it affects our cash flow for the next 12 months.”

The pair have called on the chancellor Rachel Reeves to rethink the family tax and increase the £1m threshold to at least £5m.

Windsor MP Jack Rankin said farmers are custodians of the countryside and told him how food security ‘will be impacted by the decision’.

Meanwhile, Beaconsfield MP Joy Morrissey said farmers discussed with her the ‘significant’ financial burden the inheritance tax proposals could place on family-run farms, ‘jeopardising their future and potentially forcing the sale of land held for generations’.

Maidenhead MP Josh Reynolds said the inheritance tax will ‘really impact’ young farmers, and is ‘just not good enough’. He has called on the Government to look again at its proposals.

Farmers will visit London again on Monday, February 10 with their tractors.

A Government spokesperson said: “This Government will invest £5billion into farming over the next two years, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history.

“We are going further with reforms to boost profits for farmers by backing British produce and reforming planning rules on farms to support food production.

“Our reform to Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs will mean farmers will pay a reduced inheritance tax rate of 20 per cent, rather than the standard 40 per cent for other businesses, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free. This is a fair and balanced approach, which fixes the public services we all rely on.”