'It's unfair!' Farmer despairs at Labour's inheritance tax raid as protesters BLOCK supermarket food supplies

WATCH NOW: Farmer Shane East hits out at the government's inheritance tax raid

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GB NEWS

Georgia Pearce

By Georgia Pearce


Published: 22/01/2026

- 13:07

Farmers in Doncaster, Luton and Peterborough have carried out a supermarket blockade in protest

A British farmer has hit out at Labour's "unfair" inheritance tax raid despite making changes to the threshold.

Speaking to GB News at a fresh protest against the Government, farmer Shane East blasted Chancellor Rachel Reeves for "taking a big proportion" of farmers' hard-earned money with her tax raid.


Taking their latest stand against the policy, GB News was exclusively invited to join farmers in Doncaster as they formed a blockade at a supermarket distribution centre.

Farmers in Luton and Peterborough have also carried out the same protest at other distribution centres, causing chaos for supermarket deliveries.

Speaking to GB News' Yorkshire and Humberside Reporter Anna Riley, Mr East said: "I've turned out here today to show my support for the farmers, and just to try and get things moving, going forward.

"I think it's just time that we've supported British farmers and British produce over the whole board. Not just farmers."

He argued: "I think all British industries - engineering, farming, everything all the way through that's British, needs to be supported more."

Having travelled to the protest from Lincolnshire in his tractor, Mr East criticised the amount of profit supermarkets make on their produce compared to the farmers.

Shane East

Farmer Shane East told GB News that Labour's inheritance tax raid is 'unfair'

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GB NEWS

He told GB News: "It's about 0.5 per cent profit on produce on farmers, what farmers get out of the gate price, and the supermarkets make billions of pounds profit each year. And I don't think that's really fair.

"I think they should pass some of that on to the local farmers, our farmers in the UK."

Hailing British produce as a better food supply than cheaply imported foreign produce, Mr East said: "British produce is far superior to foreign imports, we follow all the rules and regulations and what we can and can't use on crops and livestock as well.

"Feeding livestock is another one, and this stuff, what they just bring in from abroad, they've got no traceability to it. And they can just do more or less do as they like with it."

Farmer

Farmers in Doncaster, Luton and Peterborough have carried out a supermarket blockade in protest

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GB NEWS

Asked by Anna how difficult he is finding farming since the inheritance tax raid, Mr East revealed: "It's very difficult, very difficult. We're up all days, in all different weathers.

"We don't go to sleep very often, because we've got livestock to tend to. And yes, it's just very difficult."

Calling on the inheritance tax to be "scrapped completely" by the Labour Government, he added: "Inheritance tax should be scrapped for everybody, across the board.

"It's a very bad tax, it's a very unfair tax. People for generations have worked very hard to pass things on, and then at death, the Government just takes a big proportion of it."

Shane East

Mr East told GB News that inheritance tax should be 'scrapped across the board'

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GB NEWS

Over Christmas, Ms Reeves climbed down on the inheritance tax threshold on agricultural assets, following persistent backlash from furious farmers.

Confirming the U-turn, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: "So we've listened to farmers and businesses across the country, and we want to protect more family farms and businesses.

"So we're announcing today that we're increasing the inheritance tax threshold for individuals from £1million to £2.5million.

"So that means a couple with an estate worth up to £5million will pay no inheritance tax when they pass on their estate to the next generation.

"It's important that as a Government, we listen to those farmers and businesses who will be affected by changes in policy and as a result of the announcement that I'm making today, 85 per cent of farming estates who claim agricultural property relief will now pay no inheritance tax."

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