Farmers Descend on Westminster in Dramatic Budget Day Protest
Defying a ban from the Metropolitan Police, farmers from across the United Kingdom drove their tractors into the heart of Westminster on Budget Day. The dramatic protest was a direct response to Chancellor Rachel Reeves' plans to introduce a 20% tax on agricultural land and businesses valued at more than £1 million.
The scene on Wednesday, 26th November 2025, was unprecedented, with agricultural machinery parked on Abingdon Street right outside Parliament. Police intervened, stopping approximately 20 vehicles in the vicinity as more tractors were seen driving through Westminster in the early hours.
A Festive Protest with a Serious Message
Among the campaigners was one farmer who had dressed as Father Christmas, his tractor adorned with a large spruce tree. The festive display carried a pointed political message on a sign that read: “Farmer Christmas – the naughty list: Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, David Lammy, Diane Abbott, Angela Rayner & the BBC.” This vehicle was parked on Whitehall before Metropolitan Police officers moved in.
Protesters gathered in Trafalgar Square, including Mark Watler, a 50-year-old farmer from Grantham, Lincolnshire. Speaking to the PA news agency, he expressed the depth of feeling behind the action. “The inheritance tax is just the tip of the iceberg,” Watler stated. “We’re not doing it for the money, it’s a passion. We just want a fair deal.” He added, “I’ve grown up working on farms from the age of 12. It’s disheartening to see how we’re being treated.”
Crippling Taxes and Food Security Fears
David Gunn, an arable farmer and agricultural contractor from near Sevenoaks in Kent, highlighted the multiple pressures facing the industry. He confirmed he was protesting on Budget day primarily due to the government's move to impose inheritance tax on larger farm businesses.
“Inheritance tax is one reason, it’s going to cripple the farmers, the small family farmers,” Gunn said. He pointed to a perfect storm of challenges: “There’s all the other taxes they’ve been putting on us, and the prices we get for our produce and what it costs in the shop, we don’t make any money.”
Gunn issued a stark warning about the wider implications, linking the tax policy directly to the nation's food security. “Then there’s food security, farmers are going out of business,” he explained. His message to the Government was a call to honour their commitments: “sort the pledge out.” He accused the government of reneging on its manifesto promises, stating bluntly, “You said in the manifesto you would look after the farmers, which you totally haven’t, you’ve ruined the countryside.”
