Nigel Farage has encouraged farmers to persist with “peaceful and persistent” campaigning against new inheritance tax rules, claiming it could lead to change.
The Reform UK leader suggested that Labour MPs in rural areas may start to feel pressure from their constituents if they see strong local support for affected farming families.
Farmers have engaged in another tractor protest outside Parliament, continuing their opposition to Labour’s planned tax reforms. The government intends to introduce a 20% inheritance tax on farms valued over £1 million, ending the current exemption that allows family farms to be passed down without taxation. The new policy, announced in the Budget, is scheduled to take effect in April 2026.
Monday’s demonstration, organised by Save British Farming, coincides with a parliamentary debate on an e-petition signed by over 148,000 people, calling for the existing tax exemptions to remain in place.
Speaking at a Farmers To Action campaign event in north London ahead of the protest, Mr Farage said:
“I’m pleased to see the campaign is ramping up. It’s growing right across the country.
The message I’ve been putting to them, I think they’re listening too, which is 100 Labour MPs now represent rural seats – if they see local communities getting behind these families, they’re going to start getting scared, and they’re going to start putting pressure on No 10, and let’s face it, they’re in pretty big trouble already. So I think if this campaign is persistent and peaceful, they can get change.”
Farage also called for the complete abolition of inheritance tax, arguing that it unfairly taxes wealth that has already been taxed. He said:
“You’re basically taxing money that’s been taxed already as a death tax, and it’s horrible.
People living in semi-detached houses in London are now dragged into inheritance tax. And yes, of course, you can do seven-year planning and all the rest of it, but unlikely things happen. I honestly believe just getting rid of inheritance tax as a whole would be a good thing.”
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU), which has supported previous protests, expressed solidarity with farmers participating in Monday’s demonstration. NFU president Tom Bradshaw said:
“The strength of feeling around the proposed family farm tax is still incredibly high.
We support any members who want to take part in other respectful and lawful demonstrations which work towards our aim to stop the family farm tax.”
