An organised protest took place this morning, organised and led by farmers looking to protest the agricultural inheritance tax changes made to the Budget in October.
Dozens of tractors drove into York in a procession line into the city centre, circling York’s inner ring road.
80 tractors signed up for the event. Sme of the tractors were draped in union jack flags and had their lights flashing.
Others were draped in tinsel, blasting Christmas songs into the streets.
Various signs were displayed from the tractors like “Trust a stuck farmer. NOT STARMER’ and “Harmer. Farmer. Starmer.”
University student and observer of the protest Tom Nightingale, aged 19, described the event as “unexpected”.
He said: “I walking back from the Uni and I saw tractors. ‘I was like what’s going on?’ Then I saw the signs and realised it was a protest.”
Another student Sophie Sindrey, aged 20, said “I heard the protest was slowing traffic on the road, so I had to text my friend so that she could leave early to make sure she got to the train.”
One of the organisers and farmer from North Yorkshire Anna Longthorp explained her reason for supporting the protest: “This family farm tax will impact more like 75% farmers rather than the 20 odd% they claim. In fact I’ve not met a farmer yet that it won’t effect! And accountants are all saying the same, it’s not just farmers.”
“If you start selling business assets the farm becomes completely unviable.”
“One could excuse new MPs in their seats for not being across all the issues in the food & farming sector but Starmer, Reeves and Reed are well aware that farming is a struggling sector that needs help, not a whopping great kick in the teeth that they have delivered with this dreadful budget.”
