Farmer’s like Hamish Hunter say they may be forced to strike over Labour’s ‘tractor tax’ (Image: Daily Express )
has been branded a “dictator” by a farmer furious about the Labour Government’s inheritance tax raid.
Thousands of on Tuesday, demanding ministers U-turn on plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1million and to speed up the phaseout of EU-era subsidies.
Hamish Hunter, an arable farmer from Hertfordshire, told Express.co.uk it was no exaggeration to say the prime minister’s tax raid would spell the end of the British countryside.
He warned Tuesday’s protest was just the start, adding: “We see how French and German farmers are playing their hands – spraying buildings with muck trying to force politicians to address the problems they cause. British farmers wouldn’t rule out similar action.”
Mr Hunter added: “With the cuts and inheritance tax it seems like Mr Starmer is acting like a well-dressed dictator and has an anti-British agenda.”
Since Chancellor announced plans to impose inheritance tax on farms, campaigners have been urging farmers to take strike action, which if staged may threaten food shortages in the run up to Christmas.
Farmers and supporters descended on Whitehall to demand a U-turn (Image: Getty)
Mr Hunter said: “Strike action has to be on the cards although we don’t want to lock the farm gates. Supermarkets would struggle to fill their shelves. But this plan has the potential to be the end of the countryside as we know it and leave us dependent on imports.”
The Government has said contingency plans are being drawn up to deal with such shortages if farmers do strike. Mr Hunter said farmers wouldn’t want to create mass panic, but in his view they would want the public to know the tax plan is an attack on all Brits.
He claimed that Labour’s proposal is a ploy to force farm businesses to sell off parcels of land to pay the tax so developers can move in and help the Government meet its ambition to build 1.5 million new homes during this parliament.
Professor Paul Dobson, Chair of Business Strategy and Public Policy at Norwich Business School, said a strike would likely involve farmers withholding non-perishable items from supermarkets.
He said this includes meat and certain crops, potentially impacting food supplies. Professor Dobson said reports suggest UK farms supply about 80% of the nation’s beef, 90% of fresh poultry and large portions of lamb, pork and wheat.
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Striking farmers could threaten food shortages (Image: Getty)
Government figures show UK farmers produce 61% of all the food the country needs, rising to 74% of food which can be grown or reared in the UK for all or part of the year.
Professor Dobson said dairy farmers would likely be exempt from a strike due to the perishability of milk and eggs. He added: “One of the strike organisers has said that the goal is to ‘disrupt but not decimate supermarket shelves’, aiming for public support.
“Even so, the presumed threat is to ramp up the strike action potentially leading to more French-style protests if their concerns are not addressed. A particular worry would be if farmers sought to block ports, as that could hit the supply of imported foods, especially perishable fresh foods.”
He said there is a risk supermarket shelves could become quickly depleted for fresh produce, but it would take longer for gaps to appear on the shelves for processed foods. Professor Dobson warned: “Stocking up now on storable foods might be a good idea.”
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has said it doesn’t support strikes. Its president, Tom Bradshaw, said: “I understand the very real frustration of farmers across the UK and that is clear for all to see, but strike action is not a course of action the NFU is taking and as such we’re not involved in this.”
Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said retailers are closely monitoring the impact of the potential interventions, including strikes, but are adept at dealing with disruption. He added that supermarkets are working hard to ensure customers aren’t impacted.
A Government spokesperson said Britain’s food supply chain is resilient and from diverse sources, including “strong” domestic production and imports through stable trade routes.
They added ministers are going to boost Britain’s food security by investing £5billion into the farming sector over the next two years.
Ms Reeves and Environment Secretary Steve Reed said in a joint statment: “Farmers are the backbone of Britain, and we recognise the strength of feeling expressed by farming and rural communities in recent weeks. We are steadfast in our commitment to Britain’s farming industry because food security is national security.
“It’s why we are investing £5billion into farming over the next two years – the largest amount ever directed towards sustainable food production, rural economic growth and nature’s recovery in our country’s history.
“But with public services crumbling and a £22billion fiscal hole that this Government inherited, we have taken difficult decisions.
“The reforms to Agricultural Property Relief ensure wealthier estates and the most valuable farms pay their fair share to invest in our schools and health services that farmers and families in rural communities rely on.”
Last month’s Budget included reforms to Agricultural Property Relief inheritance tax, which applies when farmers and landowners pass farmland to the next generation. Changes are also planned for business property relief, which applies to business assets which form part of an estate.
Under the changes, the full 100% relief from inheritance tax will be restricted to the first £1m of combined agricultural and business property relief, above which landowners will pay inheritance tax at 20%, compared with 40% on other estates.
The new tax, which come in from April 2026, can be paid in instalments over 10 years interest free, rather than immediately.