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Farmers' tractor protest against inheritance tax

Phil Harrison/BBC A group of people standing by tractors, some have protest signs on them.Phil Harrison/BBC
Farmers from across Kent met in Orpington to travel to the capital

Kent farmers have taken their tractors to London in protest against changes to inheritance tax.

From April 2026, inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m, which were previously exempt, will be liable to the tax at 20%, which is half the usual rate.

Simon Broad from Penshurst, who helped organise the protest on Monday, had concerns that the changes could make the country more reliant on food imports while damaging food security.

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

Phil Harrison/BBC A man with short white hair. He is wearing a dark hoodie under a green coat and is standing in front of a red tractor.Phil Harrison/BBC
Mr Broad was one of the main organisers behind the protest

Mr Broad said: "I think we should be very mindful of recent world events and political unrest.

"We need to make sure that we're in control of our own food supply."

Paul Vicary, from Sevenoaks, said he was worried about the future of his family farm.

Phil Harrison/BBC A man in a black beanie, red hoodie and green coat. He is standing in front of a camera.Phil Harrison/BBC
Mr Vicary has concerns the country could lose its food security

He explained: "The cash flow in most family farms is just not great enough to actually pay those taxes.

"To pay inheritance tax we'd have to cut our farm in half, then [with] what's left you wouldn't make a living off of a few pony paddocks that's left.

"So the food security for the country from loyal generational farmers would be gone."

Farmers Claire Seymour, from Cranbrook, and Jazmin Glover, from Brands Hatch, both joined the protest.

Phil Harrison/BBC A blonde woman with curly hair in a brown coat smiling and standing next to a younger blonde woman in a green tweed coat.Phil Harrison/BBC
Claire Seymour (left) is the director of the Kent County Agricultural Society

Ms Seymour said: "The government need to support us today and keep the industry growing and producing in the UK."

Ms Glover, who is a fifth generation farmer, says she has concerns for her future.

"If future tax comes into place we won't be able to afford to take over our family farms and our generation have no chance continuing the industry," she said.

In November, dozens of farmers staged a go-slow tractor protest on the roads of Dover to protest the changes.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it would invest £5bn into farming during the next two years and would reform farm planning rules to support food production.

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