Saturday 25 January saw farmers from across the UK participate in events in town centres in a demonstration of visual support for the Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign.
The day also provided the opportunity for the public to show their support and saw events stretching from Shetland to Cornwall, and from the Giant’s Causeway to Kent.
Farmers engaged with the public, suppliers and politicians to explain the detrimental impact the government’s measures would have on Britain’s family farms.
Three key messages ran as a constant throughout each event:
1. We just want to keep farming, producing great British food for the public, caring for the environment and being at the heart of rural communities. Thank you for your support.
2. The government consulted with nobody on this, and its data is wrong. Up to 75% of farms will be affected, and for many it will be the final straw.
3. Farms can be worth a lot of money on paper, but that value will never be seen unless the farm is sold. Farm incomes are often very small. Farmers, already suffering from huge pressures, are being asked to find money they don’t have to pay this tax and when they can’t, their farm disappears.
Photograph: Terry Harris
“We will keep fighting this awful tax and hopefully, eventually, the Chancellor will listen.”NFU President Tom Bradshaw
‘We will keep fighting’
NFU President Tom Bradshaw spoke to a crowd gathered at Parker’s Piece in Cambridge.
Speaking after the event he said: “It was great. We had five tractors and 50 of our members in the centre of Cambridge and it was quite a spectacle. And events like this were replicated all over the UK.
“Saturday was all about engaging with the public and helping them understand the challenges we are facing and thanking them for their support.”
The NFU President said all of the events together with the petition handed to No. 10 last week and the new analysis from the Office for Budget Responsibility helped to keep the pressure up.
“We will keep fighting this awful tax and hopefully, eventually, the Chancellor will listen.”
Potential solutions
NFU Deputy President David Exwood began the day at Worthing Pier in West Sussex, finishing on farm in Marlow in Buckinghamshire.
He said: “We met with so many farmers but also MPs, councillors, vets, tractor dealers – everybody was coming out and supporting farming and standing up to be counted. There was huge support from the public, people clapping and cheering.
“I’ve never been so proud of the industry. It’s been a great day to see events across the country.”
Photograph: Diensen Pamben
"Everybody was coming out and supporting farming and standing up to be counted.”
NFU Deputy President David Exwood
NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos spoke to farmers and supporters at Chester Town Hall in Cheshire. “We know the figures that the Treasury have looked at is not the full picture. Sit down and talk to us. We have potential solutions that would help them fill the gap.
“We’re here today to explain to the public why we’re so worried, what’s going on and why we must stop the family farm tax.”
See the day in pictures
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NFU member Ray Brown with his cow in Chester
Members of the public outside M&S, Crawley
David Exwood attending the Worthing event
Rachel Hallos at the Day of Unity event in Chester
Gathering at Morrisons, Gravesend
Members at Morrisons in Carlisle
County Chair Freya Morgan in Hitchin town centre
Farmers in Worthing
What happened in my region?
To see where events took place, look out for the yellow tractor pins on our campaign map. You can also read write ups of what happened in each region.
Photograph: Gareth Jones
"We have potential solutions that would help [the Treasury] fill the gap.”
NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos
East
“I think it’s massively important that we as farmers connect with the public.”
NFU Hertford Vice Chair Hannah Buisman
Midlands
“This will seriously damage generations of work and efforts to protect and enhance the countryside.”
NFU South Lincolnshire chair Simon Gadd
South
From Aylesbury to Par, members gathered to show their opposition to the Government’s plans and to underline to MPs that the campaign will not stop until the government thinks again.
North
“It really was NFU Cheshire at its best, I’m lucky to be surrounded by a great team with such a passion for agriculture who pull together to make things happen.”
NFU Cheshire county adviser Helen Wainwright