Farm inheritance tax row: Major farmers rally at Lisburn tonight by UFU aims to bring 'the anger' to Westminster tomorrow

Organisers, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), says it will bring "the anger" from tonight's rally to a national rally in Westminster tomorrow.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her first Budget that inheritance tax on agricultural assets will be charged at 20% above £1 million, sparking anger among many in the farming community across the UK. Ms Reeves has said that in some cases the threshold could in practice be about £3 million.

A protest is expected in Westminster on Tuesday as farmers rally on Whitehall against the changes announced in last month’s Budget, while separately the National Farmers’ Union will hold a mass lobby of MPs in their efforts to get the Government to rethink.

The UFU is urging all farmers, landowners, and supporters of Northern Ireland’s agricultural community to join together at the UFU rally at 7.30pm this evening at the Eikon Exhibition Centre outside Lisburn, to oppose proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR).

UFU president William Irvine says a strong turnout is essential to ensure MPs and Executive representatives understand how this policy shift "threatens family farms, rural businesses, and food security".

The UFU says the proposals go far beyond the farming industry.

Promoting the rally late last week, Mr Irvine said: “This threatens the sustainability of over 24,000 family farms, impacting not only current farm families but future generations that will inherit and care for the land. The ripple effect will extend to rural businesses that rely on farming, casting doubt over their own future if farms cannot stay viable."

“We will bring the anger from this rally to Westminster at the NFU’s lobby on Tuesday 19 November. We’ll also deliver the UFU’s petition signatories directly to those in power, showing the strength of our community’s stand."

He added that these changes will affect everyone living in rural areas. “None of us can wait for that reality to happen. Join us now, stand strong, and let unity be the driving force for change. Together, we will make our voices heard,” said the UFU president.

The Lisburn rally will be attended by key policymakers, who will hear directly from the farming community about the serious implications of these changes.

Yesterday, the head of the English farming union said that farmers are feeling “betrayed” about the changes to inheritance tax.

National Farmers’ Union president Tom Bradshaw told Sky News: “I think the industry is feeling betrayed, feeling angry.”

He added: “We have a Government saying food security is a critical part of national security, yet they’ve ripped the rug out from that very industry which is going to invest in food security for the future.”

Also yesterday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “absolutely confident” that the “vast majority of farms and farmers” will not be affected by changes to inheritance tax announced in the Budget.

Speaking to reporters on the way to the G20 summit in Brazil, Sir Keir said “it is very important that we support farmers” but he is “confident” most will not be affected by the changes.

Asked whether he accepted that farmers feel betrayed, the Prime Minister said: “I think it is very important that we support farmers. That’s why we’ve put £5bn in the Budget for the next two years into farming."

Last week Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said the Northern Ireland Executive should send a united message to the UK Government that it needs to “change course urgently” over changes to inheritance tax for farmers.

Ms Little-Pengelly told MLAs that farmers cannot be used as a “cash cow” and urged people to attend a protest against the planned changes next week.

She urged farmers and others to attend tonight's rally.

The rally tomorrow at Westminster will hear from celebrities and farming leaders while a procession to Parliament Square will be spearheaded by children on toy tractors. Organisers have told those coming that they should not bring their farm machinery.

Also today, farmers are due to protest across France as the prospect of a trade deal between European and Mercosur countries sharpens discontent over foreign competition that fuelled a farming crisis earlier this year.

A push by the European Union and South America's Mercosur bloc to conclude long-running trade negotiations by the end of the year has rekindled anger in France.

Similar frustration was voiced by farmers across Europe last winter after a surge in imports from Ukraine following Russia's invasion.