The government faces growing backlash over the so-called ‘family farm tax’, with more than 12,000 people writing to MPs and farmers planning a tractor protest in London ahead of the chancellor’s budget.
The Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign, launched by the NFU to highlight the impact of proposed inheritance tax reforms on farming families, has seen letters sent to 551 MPs in just 12 days.
The letters urge MPs to oppose the plans and watch an emotional BBC Countryfile interview with Welsh farmers Tom and Charles Rees, who warned that the proposals could threaten their family’s future and their ability to continue producing food.
At the same time, farmers from across the UK are preparing to take their message directly to Westminster. On 26 November, hundreds are expected to drive tractors into central London in a major show of solidarity demanding “fairness and a future for British farming.”
The demonstration, timed to coincide with the chancellor’s autumn budget, is being organised by Berkshire Farmers under the banner Farmers to London: Budget Day.
Organisers say the protest will highlight growing discontent over the government’s proposed inheritance tax reforms, due to take effect from April 2026, alongside wider concerns about the survival of family farms.
Farmers across England are also preparing for coordinated demonstrations on 24 November, with campaign group Farmers To Action calling for a nationwide “Day of Unity” to protest the reforms and their potential impact on rural communities.
The proposed reform would cap inheritance tax relief for agricultural and business property at £1 million, with assets above that threshold receiving only 50% relief.
Farmers and industry groups argue that the move would force families to sell land or break up long-established farms to pay large tax bills.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw, who appeared in the Countryfile interview, said he was “so grateful to the British public” for showing solidarity with farming families.
“It is remarkable that in less than two weeks, more than 12,000 letters have been emailed to politicians of all parties,” he said. “Many MPs have been contacted by more than 50 constituents, which really helps the message cut through.”
The NFU says the message from farmers and the public is clear — the government must rethink its approach before irreversible damage is done.
Bradshaw warned that “this awful and unfair tax” would have “so many unintended consequences”, adding that its “human impact is not being considered by the government.”
He urged ministers to reconsider the policy before the upcoming Budget, saying: “Even at this late stage, there is still time for government to do what is right… to make the changes that will back British farming – and back investment in Britain’s future.”
Both the NFU’s campaign and the grassroots tractor protests reflect growing anxiety across the countryside about government policy and the lack of clear long-term support for British agriculture.
The NFU’s campaign has drawn widespread support from across the UK’s food and farming industries, major retailers, and the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee, all of whom have said the proposed policy is unfair to working farms.
Independent research body CenTax has also argued that the government’s plan needs revising to achieve its intended outcomes. It has suggested a more targeted approach that would protect genuine farming businesses while still raising revenue for the Exchequer.
With just weeks until the Budget, the NFU says it will keep pressing ministers to rethink the “family farm tax” — warning that the livelihoods of thousands of family farmers hang in the balance.
