Starmer boxed in by farmers in Milton Keynes today. 🚜

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.

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

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% .

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.

Wyllow3

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

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

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

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.

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.

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/

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Allira I know he does. I'm referring to the article he wrote in which he said he'd invested in land so that " The government doesn’t get any of my money when I die.”

Churchview
Clarkson does in fact farm the land he owns.

Posters seem to equate him with private equity firms and the like who have no interest in the land they gobble up.

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.

I meant to mention that Conservative MP Therese Coffey was booed by the NFU conference when she was a useless Minister for Agriculture.

I agree with a lot of what you say MayBe70 but I do think the Conservatives lost the farmers and rural vote hugely in the last election. My area had been Tory for 70 years and now we have our first ever Labour MP. Vast swathes of the south of England went red or yellow.

Normally the farm land around me is papered in Tory posters prior to an election but last time - nothing.

Since Brexit many farmers lost faith in the Conservatives.

I think British farming needs help with the things you say - supermarkets, energy costs, the aging population of farmers, rural crime.....stuff the Tories didn't address I sincerely hope Labour will help and agree with a previous poster who said the IHT should apply only to those who own land they don't farm. Jeremy Clarkson types who use land to avoid IHT.

Farming's bloody hard and relentless.

“The hardest thing I’ve had to do.” That was the heartbreaking confession of a British dairy farmer after selling his herd of cows, bringing to an end a family business that had been in existence for nearly 200 years.

The reason for this fateful decision? A 14p-a-litre drop in the price he was getting for his milk, within a few months, despite facing continued high bills for electricity, animal feed and fertiliser. “I can’t understand why anyone would want to carry it on,” he said.

The milk producer, who has chosen to remain nameless, told his story to David Exwood, a Sussex farmer, who shared the comments on Twitter. His situation is far from unique. Dairy farmers and other food producers have been struggling with spiralling costs since the outbreak of war in Ukraine last February pushed energy bills skywards – also affecting the cost of fertiliser, which needs gas for its production.”
this is part of an article in The Guardian a couple of years ago. Now, it has angered me for a long time how badly farmers are treated by supermarkets. What I don’t understand is why they only now feel the need to take to the streets to protest. It just seems to me that they are happy to take things on the chin when we have a Conservative government but want to make a point of how much they dislike Labour ( and want other people to feel the same).

Rosie51

Barleyfields

I don’t know if the average voter knows how much farm machinery costs, but the value of these essential machines is of course counted in valuing estates for IHT, so a farmer’s necessary tools of the trade will cost his family dear when he dies.

That's Ok, his family can sell the expensive farm machinery and go back to hand tilling. If they're lucky enough to be able to keep a horse or two they can have help with the ploughing. Will it affect productivity? Probably, but then fairs fair, and we can always import all the food we need. 🙄🙄

😀
Oh but Rosie51, Dobbin, Hercules and Buttercup might be worth a lot of money and have to be sold to raise IHT 🐴🐴🐴
They might be lucky enough to go to Farm Animal Sanctuary and not shipped off to France.

Barleyfields

I don’t know if the average voter knows how much farm machinery costs, but the value of these essential machines is of course counted in valuing estates for IHT, so a farmer’s necessary tools of the trade will cost his family dear when he dies.

How does a farmer carry out his or her work without the tools for the job?

Perhaps we should go back to planting, scything, threshing, winnowing by hand.
That will put the prices up.

Yes, all the equipment is valued, business assets, not just land and buildings.

Mollygo

Casdon

I’m sure you’re right Barleyfields, but I don’t think that people see it in those terms. To win them over, it’s the wrong message.

Speaking for the average voter?
Evidence?

When you say ‘I think’ something Mollygo, that is what you mean. It is when you pass something off as fact that there are questions to be asked.