'No trust at all!' Labour accused of 'absolutely crucifying' British farming as tractors descend in latest inheritance tax protest

Speaking at the conference, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said farmers are "at the heart of national life".

She said: "I’ve listened to farmers and stakeholders about your concerns on proposed changes to inheritance tax. You told me the threshold was too low, you told me it would hit small family farms, the very farms we want to protect.

"Farms that have been in families for generations. Farms you understandably want to pass on to your children. We have listened and we are making changes."

Discussing their latest protest, Mr Marchment told GB News national reporter Jack Carson: "We've come here today to show our anger at the Labour policy, because at the end of the day, it should abolish the death tax for all, not just not just for us, and the limit they've put on is still not good enough.

"It should be gone completely, because it's not fair that when you have a bereavement in your family, you then go and lose your business. Because your farm is your shop floor at the end of the day, and taking land away to pay a tax is just egregious. It's terrible."

Stressing that he is still within the threshold to pay the inheritance tax despite Labour's U-turn, he explained: "Unfortunately, I'm single, so it's only £2.5million. My farm is still in there and gets caught in the inheritance tax.

"It's completely wrong. Labour haven't listened to us at all, they've listened to one lobbying group which is the NFU (National Farmers' Union). NFU only speak for one in seven of us at the end of the day, and the rest of us are now caught up in it. It's horrendous."

Criticising Labour for "failing to speak to farmers" at their annual party conference last September, Mr Marchment added: "We've had people committing suicide, hence the coffin here today which we took to the Labour Party conference, and none of them would even speak to us.

"When we went to the conference, they walked by with their heads down low because at the end of the day, they're trying to enact a policy on us which is more than just a tax. They're trying to reduce agriculture by 30 per cent in the country.

"This was passed by the Conservative Party, and the Labour Party have added another 10 per cent onto that. They're getting rid of dairies, dairies are closing at a massive rate, and it's just terrible what's happening to our industry now."

Asked by GB News whether there is any "trust" being restored in the Government by farmers following their U-turn, Mr Marchment fumed: "There's no trust at all, I'm afraid.

"What they did a year ago absolutely crucified our industry, and we are now fighting for our survival.

"You can see by how many people have turned up here again today, if there's farmers protesting their policies, they are wrong. At the end of the day, I don't see why they don't understand that."

At the end of 2025, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds announced that the inheritance tax threshold will rise to £2.5million for farmers and businesses.

Confirming the U-turn, Ms 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."