Farmer warns Labour of ‘more disruptive’ and ‘French-like’ protests over inheritance tax fury: ‘We’re in desperate situations’

A farmer has warned that protests could become “more French” and increasingly disruptive if the Government fails to properly engage with the agricultural sector over inheritance tax changes.

Clive Bailye, speaking to GB News, said while recent tractor demonstrations in London had maintained a “carnival atmosphere”, the mood among farmers was shifting.

“If the Government don’t start to listen, sit down and have proper conversations about this, it’s going to get increasingly tense,” he said.

“There’s fractions of farmers that want to ‘get more French’ for want of a better term. Increasingly that’s the mood.”

Farmers drove tractors through Westminster on Wednesday in protest against agricultural inheritance tax changes announced in October’s Budget.

While couples could still pass on farms worth up to £3million using other allowances, many farmers argue they are cash-poor despite being asset-rich.

Bailye dismissed the Government’s announcement of £5billion in farming support as “political spin” coinciding with the tractor protests.

“That £5billion isn’t the largest amount ever committed to agriculture. And we’ve had costs rise 40 per cent in the last three years alone,” he told GB News.

He criticised the short-term nature of the commitment, noting it only covers two years.

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“How can you plan a business with a two-year commitment from a Government?” he said.

“It doesn’t matter how much money they put into agriculture if there are no farmers left because we had to sell our farms to pay inheritance tax over the next generation.”

Bailye emphasised the importance of maintaining public support in their campaign against the tax changes.

“I think it’s incredibly important as farmers that we keep public support. That’s the key to getting Government to listen,” he said.

He warned that some farmers were in “desperate situations” and felt they had “nothing to lose”.

The protests have so far remained peaceful, with Bailye noting that farmers hadn’t brought “muck spreaders like in France or straw spreaders or anything disruptive.”

However, he cautioned: “I think in the new year, things could get much more disruptive and a lot less friendly.”

The Prime Minister’s spokesman confirmed there would not be a rethink on inheritance tax.

“We understand the strength of feeling about the changes, but we are clear this will only affect a small number of estates,” the spokesman said.

The Government has committed £5billion to farming over the next two years, which Starmer described as “a record” investment.