Labour doesn’t understand the countryside, say farmers in warning ‘tractor tax’ will destroy village life

Farmers protest outside the Northern Farming Conference in Hexham, Northumberland, against the government’s proposals to reform inheritance tax rules - (Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

Farmers say Labour’s shock changes to inheritance tax rules will lead to the “destruction” of village life and accused politicians of failing to understand the countryside, as dozens joined a first protest against the measure.

Under Rachel Reeves’s Budget announcement last week, farmers will be charged 20 per cent on agricultural assets above £1m from April 2026.