Worried farmers unite at Hall Farm in Fornham St Martin, near Bury St Edmunds, in protest against inheritance tax changes ahead of MPs debate

Emotional and worried farmers have united in protest against the Government’s proposed changes to inheritance tax - and warned of ‘total devastation’ to the industry.

A group of farmers gathered this morning at Hall Farm in Fornham St Martin, near Bury St Edmunds, before travelling to London where MPs are set to debate the proposals in Westminster.

Demonstrators have demanded the Government rethink proposals to apply a 20 per cent inheritance tax to agricultural assets over £1 million from April 2026.

Andrew Long, 63, who has been running Hall Farm for 42 years, said: “I’m extremely frustrated and confused by the changes as it won’t bring in that much money and it’s just bringing total devastation in the farming industry.

“Bury St Edmunds particularly has changed so much in the last five years. It’s becoming more populated, people are demanding more and are extremely keen for food from local farms, so we should be able to react to this.”

Mr Long’s wife, Gina, 62, said: “I’m completely dismayed by what the Government is asking farmers to do and that our voices seem to be unheard.

“This tax puts the future of many farm businesses under threat. Many farmers will have to sell off part of their farmland to pay the bill, often making the business unviable, with entire farms being sold.

“This will have a huge knock-on effect on the rural economy, food security and the environment.

“If farmers were fishermen, it would be like telling us to sell our boats yet continue fishing. It’s ridiculous and it doesn’t make sense.”

Mr Long, who has four children working in the farming industry, said he was worried for the younger generations who will suffer the consequences of the potential inheritance tax changes.

“There’s been many tough times over the years as a farmer, but in my opinion, this is the most serious issue I’ve faced,” he said.

“It’s so disappointing for the younger generations. I am hugely concerned and worried for them as it’s going to come down heavily on them.”

Farmers drove more than 100 tractors at 20mph last week in a go-slow protest along the A14 between Bury St Edmunds and Felixstowe.

It came as part of the nationwide movement against Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s decision in her Budget to extend the inheritance tax to agricultural land,

The organiser of the go-slow demonstration, Russel Abbott, is a fourth generation farmer and runs Crag Pit Farm, in Tattingstone, near Ipswich, with his dad, Robert.

“Doing the protest is doing something and doing something is better than nothing,” he said.

“This is a hugely emotional issue for me. I do not want to be the generation that loses the farm and something like that does hurt me.

“We do pay taxes on what we earn but the inheritance tax is unfeasible. This is the last straw for us and it will have a hugely negative impact on the industry.”

During her budget speech on October 30, the Chancellor said the measures of the proposals would ensure the Government continues to ‘protect small family farms’ and that three-quarters of claims would remain unaffected by the proposed changes.

The Government argued the reforms would create a ‘fairer’ system compared to the current one as recent figures reveal that the top seven per cent of claims make up 40 per cent of the total value of agricultural property relief, costing taxpayers £219 million.

Meanwhile, the top two per cent of claims account for 22 per cent of the relief, amounting to £119 million.

Cath Crowther, regional director for the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), has called on the Government to do a proper assessment of the economy and the impact of their proposals.

She said that CLA modelling has demonstrated that for a 350-acre arable farm, between a couple, they would have to save 99 per cent of their profits every year for 10 years to be able to pay inheritance tax.

Additionally, she said a 200-acre farm owned by a single person would have to save 136 per cent of their profits every year for 10 years to pay this.

“Everyone is feeling frustrated, angry and upset, as we feel the Government is not listening despite the overwhelming evidence of the negative impact of these proposals,” Ms Crowther said.

“It's not an affordable tax, so farms and businesses will have to be sold to pay it off.

“There needs to be a huge rethink and an understanding that the tax take could be much less than the impact on the economy.

“There also needs to be an understanding that the value of assets is high. Those assets are required to operate a business, so the profit is simply not there to pay this tax.”