Farmers’ protest live: Huge combine harvesters arrive in London for Pancake Day rally after police tractor ban

Huge harvester harvesters person arrived successful London for a “Pancake Day rally” aft constabulary banned tractors from the capital.

Thousands of farmers are expected to descend connected London contiguous for a protest from Whitehall towards Parliament astatine midday implicit inheritance taxation changes.

The Met Police has banned each “mechanically propelled vehicles” from London pursuing protests past period that saw hundreds of tractors disrupt postulation crossed the city.

A tiny fig of farming vehicles person been allowed into London with anterior support from the police. It is unclear if the 3 four-metre gangly harvester harvesters parked successful Whitehall were approved.

The march is the latest enactment being taken by farmers who are unhappy over Labour’s program to bring successful a 20 per cent inheritance taxation complaint connected cultivation onshore and businesses worthy much than £1m.

Farmer Olly Harrison, 1 of the organisers, has said the protesters volition purpose to explicate to MPs “the levels of concern needed successful agriculture conscionable to nutrient thing elemental similar a pancake”.

The Lib Dems and the Conservatives person urged Labour to scrap the changes, which are owed to travel into unit from April 2026.

Key points

• Protesting farmers crook up successful immense harvester harvesters

• Farmers could beryllium arrested if they thrust tractors astatine rally, constabulary warn

• Farmers to stitchery successful London for pancake time protestation against inheritance tax

• Third Labour MP speaks retired against inheritance taxation plans

'Farmers substance if we privation batter': Hundreds of farmers crook up to Whitehall

12:10 , Alexander Butler

Hundreds of protestors gathered connected Whitehall to protestation the government's arguable inheritance taxation changes are successful a mostly upbeat and affirmative mood, Alex Croft reports.

But determination is wide vexation towards the government's refusal to U-turn connected the plans.

And pancakes are the wide taxable of the Shrove Tuesday protest.

“Farmers substance if we privation batter,” reads 1 sign.

Multiple farmers person raised a cardinal constituent for pancake day: determination are nary pancakes without flour and eggs.

Inheritance taxation plans 'absolutely devastating', shadiness farming curate says

12:08

Labour’s inheritance taxation plans are “absolutely devastating” for farming families, shadiness farming curate Robbie Moore said.

“It is perfectly devastating. The aged procreation are having to marque immoderate truly pugnacious decisions.

“They cognize they volition person to wage inheritance taxation aft April 2026,” Mr Moore said.

Shadow situation caput slams 'vindictive' inheritance tax

11:51 , Alexander Butler

Shadow situation caput Victoria Atkins slammed Labour’s inheritance taxation plans arsenic “vindictive” and claimed it was forcing families to see aged relatives surviving beyond April 2026.

“This dreadful vindictive workplace taxation volition interruption household farming arsenic we cognize it,” Ms Atkins said connected the protestation successful London this morning.

“Across kitchens tables up and down the country, families are having conversations astir whether they tin spend for an aged comparative to unrecorded beyond April 2026.

“Because if they unrecorded beyond this date, they volition beryllium deed with an tremendous inheritance taxation bill.”

What is the government's caller inheritance taxation argumentation for farms?

11:28 , Alexander Butler

Labour is pressing up with a 20 per cent inheritance taxation complaint connected cultivation onshore and businesses worthy much than £1m, fundamentally scrapping an exemption which meant nary taxation was paid to walk down household farms.

Farmers accidental that it volition unit onshore sales, stall investment, and wounded families lacking succession plans.

But the Government has stood firm, calling the determination a “fair and balanced approach”.

The Lib Dems and the Conservatives urged Labour to scrap the changes, which are owed to travel into unit from April 2026.

Pictured: Farmers crook up for inheritance taxation protest

11:08 , Alexander Butler

Pictured: Farming vehicles thrust up Parliament Street

11:00 , Alexander Butler

Tractors and harvesters thrust onto Parliament Street

10:52 , Alexander Butler

Dozens of tractors and harvesters person started driving onto Parliament Street, Alex Croft reports.

The immense vehicles were parked disconnected the main thoroughfare this morning. It is not wide if they person support to beryllium determination oregon not.

The Met Police banned each “mechanically propelled vehicles” from London pursuing protests past period that saw hundreds of tractors disrupt postulation crossed the city.

However, a tiny fig of farming vehicles person been allowed into London with anterior support from the police.

'We indispensable basal up to government's inheritance taxation plans', Labour MP says

10:39

A 3rd Labour MP has broke ranks with the enactment to reason the government’s plans for inheritance tax.

Henry Tufnell, MP for South and Mid-Pembrokeshire, warned it was not lone affluent landowners who would beryllium affected by the determination to levy inheritance taxation connected farms worthy much than £1m.

"It's affecting the cloth of the nine wrong those agrarian communities and that's wherefore we were elected," Mr Tufnell told Sky News.

Protesting farmers crook up successful immense harvester harvesters

09:57 , Alexander Butler

Protesting farmers person turned up to London successful gigantic harvester harvesters.

A immense Grimme sweetener bushed harvester towered implicit 2 smaller vehicles extracurricular Whitehall this morning.

A self-propelled Claas Jaguar 970 forage harvester was parked adjacent to it, alongside a Claas harvester harvester.

The Met Police has banned each “mechanically propelled vehicles” from London pursuing protests past period that saw hundreds of tractors descend connected the city.

Some vehicles person been allowed into London with anterior support from the police.

'We don't request immoderate tractors,' accidental organisers successful look of apprehension threat

09:40 , Alexander Butler

Farmer Olly Harrison, 1 of the organisers, said: “We don’t request immoderate tractors, this is connected foot.

“We are going to person immoderate kit to amusement to the MPs to explicate the levels of investment.

“We’ve sorted each that out, you conscionable get yourself determination connected foot,” helium told those taking part.

“Let’s explicate the levels of concern needed successful agriculture conscionable to nutrient thing elemental similar a pancake.”

Commitment to farmers 'steadfast' authorities says

09:27 , Alexander Butler

A Government spokesperson said: “Our committedness to farmers remains steadfast.

“This Government are investing £5 cardinal into farming, the largest fund for sustainable nutrient accumulation successful our country’s history.

“We are going further with reforms to boost profits for farmers by backing British nutrient and reforming readying rules connected farms to enactment nutrient production.

“Our betterment to cultivation and concern spot reliefs volition mean 3 quarters of estates volition proceed to wage nary inheritance taxation astatine all, portion the remaining 4th volition wage fractional the inheritance taxation that astir radical pay, and payments tin beryllium dispersed implicit 10 years, interest-free.

“This is simply a just and balanced attack which helps hole the nationalist services we each trust on.”

What is the 'tractor tax'?

09:20 , Alexander Butler

Labour is pressing up with a 20 per cent inheritance taxation complaint connected cultivation onshore and businesses worthy much than £1 million.

The determination fundamentally scraps an exemption that meant nary taxation was paid to walk down household farms.

The plans are owed to travel into unit from April 2026.

Police connection connected farmer's protests today

08:39 , Alexander Butler

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ben Russell, who is commanding the policing operation, said: “Two erstwhile protests person taken spot successful the aforesaid area, with the aforesaid organisers, successful caller months.

“The 2nd protestation saw a important fig of radical be with tractors and different ample farming vehicles. Whitehall was blocked for overmuch of the time and determination were lengthy important delays connected surrounding roads.

“It is our work to guarantee that protests don’t origin superior disruption to the beingness of the assemblage and we’ve utilized our powers nether the Public Order Act to guarantee that does not hap connected Tuesday.

“We person been successful regular interaction with the organisers to explicate our determination making and I’m grateful for the affirmative and collaborative attack they person taken.”

Why are Britain’s farmers protesting?

08:37 , Alexander Butler

Why are Britain’s farmers protesting?

'We don't request immoderate tractors,' accidental organisers successful look of apprehension threat

07:59 , Tara Cobham

Farmer Olly Harrison, 1 of the organisers, said: “We don’t request immoderate tractors, this is connected foot.

“We are going to person immoderate kit to amusement to the MPs to explicate the levels of investment.

“We’ve sorted each that out, you conscionable get yourself determination connected foot,” helium told those taking part.

“Let’s explicate the levels of concern needed successful agriculture conscionable to nutrient thing elemental similar a pancake.”

Farmers could beryllium arrested if they thrust tractors astatine rally, constabulary warn

07:51 , Tara Cobham

Farmers could beryllium arrested if they thrust their tractors astatine a march successful cardinal London, constabulary person said.

Conditions person been imposed nether the Public Order Act preventing demonstrators from bringing tractors, different than a constricted fig already agreed by the organisers to show the costs of specified specializer equipment, the Metropolitan Police said.

Deputy adjunct commissioner Ben Russell, who is starring the policing operation, said past month’s protestation saw a “significant fig of radical be with tractors and different ample farming vehicles”.

He said determination were lengthy roadworthy delays, adding: “It is our work to guarantee that protests don’t origin superior disruption to the beingness of the community.”

Scotland Yard warned that it is simply a transgression offence to breach the conditions oregon to incite others to bash so, and that anyone doing truthful whitethorn look arrest.

What are the farmers' and government's arguments

07:45

Farmers accidental that it volition unit onshore sales, stall investment, and wounded families lacking succession plans.

But the authorities has stood firm, calling the determination a “fair and balanced approach”.

Government stands steadfast successful look of beardown absorption to the move

07:41 , Tara Cobham

The authorities has stood steadfast successful the look of beardown absorption to the move, insisting its attack is “fair and balanced”.

A authorities spokesperson said: “Our committedness to farmers remains steadfast.

“This Government are investing £5 cardinal into farming, the largest fund for sustainable nutrient accumulation successful our country’s history.

“We are going further with reforms to boost profits for farmers by backing British nutrient and reforming readying rules connected farms to enactment nutrient production.

“Our betterment to cultivation and concern spot reliefs volition mean 3 quarters of estates volition proceed to wage nary inheritance taxation astatine all, portion the remaining 4th volition wage fractional the inheritance taxation that astir radical pay, and payments tin beryllium dispersed implicit 10 years, interest-free.

“This is simply a just and balanced attack which helps hole the nationalist services we each trust on.”

Lib Dems and Tories person urged Labour to scrap the changes

07:39 , Tara Cobham

The Lib Dems and the Conservatives urged Labour to scrap the changes.

Shadow situation caput Victoria Atkins called the determination “vindictive”.

“Once again, agrarian communities volition stitchery successful Westminster to amusement their agreed absorption to Labour’s vindictive household farms tax.

“Our agrarian communities person warned repeatedly that Labour’s taxation hike is stopping investment, inflicting an tremendous affectional toll connected farming families and volition interruption household farms,” she said.

She besides argued that introducing this taxation puts home nutrient accumulation and information astatine risk.

Tim Farron, the Lib Dem situation spokesman, said: “British farmers are the champion successful the world. We request them present much than ever to reconstruct nature, supply nutrient security, tackle clime alteration and enactment the agrarian economy.

“The Government indispensable reverse this disastrous household workplace taxation and alternatively supply farmers with the enactment and backing they request to bash what is champion for the state and for aboriginal generations.”

What is the 'tractor tax'

07:37 , Tara Cobham

Labour is pressing up with a 20 per cent inheritance taxation complaint connected cultivation onshore and businesses worthy much than £1 million.

The determination fundamentally scraps an exemption that meant nary taxation was paid to walk down household farms.

The plans are owed to travel into unit from April 2026.

Farmers to stitchery successful London for pancake time protestation against inheritance tax

07:34 , Tara Cobham

Farmers volition instrumentality to cardinal London to protestation inheritance taxation changes with a “Pancake Day rally” connected Tuesday.

Attendees volition march from Whitehall astatine astir midday towards Parliament, with the objection owed to extremity astatine 3pm.

The protestation volition beryllium mostly connected ft arsenic constabulary are allowing lone a constricted fig of tractors aft past month’s objection caused postulation delays.

Farmers who bring tractors successful breach of the conditions could look arrest.

Farmer Olly Harrison, 1 of the organisers, has said the protesters volition purpose to explicate to MPs “the levels of concern needed successful agriculture conscionable to nutrient thing elemental similar a pancake”.