Starmer boxed in by farmers in Milton Keynes today. 🚜

He has, of course, a nice cushion of wealth to fall back on, unlike many farmers.
However, having bought the land perhaps for tax avoidance purposes, he seems to have taken to farming with enthusiasm
His partner Lisa is certainly a grafter.

MayBee70

Allira

Maybee70

Farmers protest over supermarket milk prices
www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-18920667
2012

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-shropshire-33776766
2015

www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/01/uk-dairy-farmers-to-march-on-downing-street-milk
2016

www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/news/24064754.scarecrows-protest-outside-parliament-ahead-grocery-supply-chain-debate/
2024

www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/farmers-protest-greenpeace-comment/
2024

This is the final straw for many.

Thanks. I’m not aware of those protests making the news in the way the anti inheritance tax protests have, though, so maybe my argument is with the news media more than with the farmers. I do hope that the new tax will stop people like Dyson buying up so much land but I’m pretty useless when it comes to understanding anything to do with the law or economics ( I gave up doing both at A Level!). I have a friend that owns a small farm; I haven’t seen her for ages but it would be interesting to find out how she will be affected by all this.

I do remember these being in the news t I think this latest blow has really touched a nerve and as I said, is the final straw for many.

We need to be encouraging young people into farming, not putting more obstacles in their way. At one time there were many County Farms which were a good way for young people to get started in farming if their family weren't farmers but many of these have been sold off.

The three 'council' farms in my area have all been sold off and built on in the last 10 years. One of them was used as a real community asset and encouraged many local children into farming. It is sadly missed by local folk.

Is it not true that, prior to 1984, IHT was paid by farmers ?

Chocolatelovinggran

Is it not true that, prior to 1984, IHT was paid by farmers ?

APR (Agricultural Property Relief) was applied to land used for crops and animals.

I don't know if other laws eg Set Aside which was introduced later made a different to this.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202502/medium-4212-479509729-17863398606340670-5779917587553285718-n.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202502/medium-134844-476381906-122121607598636257-2706668040641252672-n.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202502/medium-586351-b25ly21zojflnmvkndnlltbhzmutngmzny05m2yzlwfmmzc0mmm3mju3yjoxndkzn2jmzi05oge1ltrhmzitywfjmi1iotq4ota2mdu4ode.jpg

Dyson is at least an example of a big landowner trying to make agriculture pay, but most dont.

Allira gave a good historical list on the last page of strong efforts to curb the price fixing of supermarkets.
There was a group called Farmers for Action led by Ian Handley who was heavily involved as well as course as the NFU on dairy pricing.

And of course the greatest danger to farming in our country remains the amount of land on production plus the price fixing/forcing of supermarkets, the forcing down of prices by cheap products from abroad.

I've been looking into who is behind the recent farmer protests, who the organisers are.

They are called on FarmerstoAction

Now I'm not saying there isnt huge small farmer support for some of the stated aims, and glad small farmers are getting a hearing but this group is led by big landowners and links with Farage/Reform: their main slogan is cut Inheritance for all ie big landowners dont pay out

a careful read of their Facebook page repays viewing:

www.facebook.com/people/Farmers-To-Action/61569087725575/

They use a Union Jack in their main publicity (no problems) but there is a new banner appearing of more dubious origin using the England flag with its complex associations.

There are also some conspiracy theories peddled by some: on the big demo:

“Speaking in front of around 50 tractors at Belmont Farm in North London 10th February, Farage insinuated that the Labour government had a “sinister agenda” to acquire “lots of land because they’re planning for another five million people to come into the country

Farage’s comments appear to reference the unfounded conspiracy theory that governments are seizing land from farmers to house migrants, which has been spread by far-right commentators in Europe.

However, ordinary farmers responded to this:

Joe Stanley, a farmer from Leicestershire and regional chairman for the National Farmers Union (NFU), said he was “disgusted” by Farage’s claims but told DeSmog farmers were becoming “an increasingly fertile ground for the far-right” due to the failures of successive Labour and Conservative policies.

“Farmers feel so completely betrayed by the mainstream political parties of both colours, they are understandably veering off into the populist right-wing world of conspiracy theories and extremism,” he said.

www.desmog.com/2025/02/13/nigel-farage-spreads-far-right-conspiracy-theory-farming-protest/

and he is right, of course: farmers all over the world are being ignored, are demonstrating and we are not grasping the need to have proper policies on food

Sorry its been a long post, its taken a lot of research, but I think an awareness that big landowners are trying to control the narrative not our smaller food producing farmers is important

The NFU has led some earlier protests, however, the latest one was not a NFU event.
The NFU but would like to have some calm and constructive talks with the Government and has been trying to meet the Chancellor for months. What is she afraid of?

www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/farmer-protests-at-pm-event-nfu-response/

Thanks, Wyllow, I'll read that later; we have to go food shopping now!
At least I hope we'll find good, unlike certain parts Australia where weather events have left supermarket shelves empty for some time.

Food security is of vital importance.

Yes, I agree that talks need badly to be held, not just with RR either (although I think the levels of starting I tax need adjusting)

but on food policy widely, and the NFU is the proper body to have dialogue with.

FarmerstoAction have some interesting bedfellows
farmerstoaction.com/about
(bird flu conspiracy theories)

Wyllow3

FarmerstoAction have some interesting bedfellows
farmerstoaction.com/about
(bird flu conspiracy theories)

Not sure who these people are, they seem quite secretive.

Those groups are affiliated in a peripheral way, my main concern is that people know who are organising the demonstrations and keep an eye out for small farmers interests not the big landowners.

I'd have had more respect for our Prime Minister had he got out of his car and spoke with them. I support the farmers 100% .

I doubt if he would have been allowed to do that for security reasons.

Homestead62

I'd have had more respect for our Prime Minister had he got out of his car and spoke with them. I support the farmers 100% .

I dont support the rich landowners just in it for tax evasion who have taken land out of food farming, who only want to get out of Tax and are using the small farmers issue to try and pops their agenda. .

I support those smaller farmers and the NFU fully support them. I don't see why Starmer should speak to a small FarmerstoAction group who are presenting a false front as I outlined above.