Farmers drive tractor convoy in tax protest

The tractors drove through Leamington and Warwick on Saturday

Dozens of farmers in Warwickshire have held a tractor protest against the government's changes to inheritance tax rules.

They drove in convoy through Warwick and Leamington Spa on Saturday as part of a national "day of unity" by farmers across the country.

Working farms are currently exempt from inheritance tax but from April 2026 any inherited properties or land worth more than £1m will be taxed at a rate of 20%.

Environment secretary Steve Reed insisted on Saturday that "the government will back farmers in the work they do to feed us" and £5bn allocated at the budget for food production "was the biggest in history".

Dozens of tractors drove by Leamington's Town Hall

Livestock farmer Mark Johnson, who was driving one of the tractors through Leamington, said he was against the tax because farmers were already "trying to produce food for next to nothing".

Saturday's protests were co-ordinated by the National Farmers' Union, with other events also planned in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

A government spokesperson had previously said: "Our reform to Agricultural and Business Property relief will mean estates will pay a reduced effective inheritance tax rate of 20%, rather than the standard 40%, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free.

"This is a fair and balanced approach, which fixes the public services we all rely on, affecting around 500 estates a year."

Many of the tractors sported green National Farmers Union flags

Speaking at the central London conference of the Labour-supporting Fabian Society, the environment secretary said 30% of the Parliamentary Labour Party represented rural Britain and provided a "strong voice".

He argued that the concerns of rural Britain were the same as urban Britain – the cost of living, the NHS and wanting to get the economy fixed.