Farmers’ fury as tractors banned from Budget day demonstration against Reeves’ inheritance tax raid
Farmers planning a massive Budget Day demonstration against the family farm tax on Wednesday have been banned from bringing their tractors; This led to outrage and accusations of two-tiered policing.
At 11am the Metropolitan Police announced that the protest against the end of inheritance benefit would be limited to a small, designated area of Whitehall.
Organizers had intended the meeting to be “one of the most striking rural shows in years”, with hundreds of tractors taking part.
The police made the restriction on the grounds that the tractor protest “could cause serious disruptions in the life of the society.”
The move against the demonstration, organized by the Berkshire Farmers but attended by farmers from all corners of the country, was met with anger and accusations of ‘two-tiered policing’.
One farmer said: ‘The event was authorized and all previous events were peaceful, orderly and there were no arrests’.
He asked: ‘Is this two-stage policing to avoid embarrassment for (Rachel) Reeves on budget day?’
Jonathan Charlesworth, the Yorkshire farmer whose father John committed suicide so he could move to the farm before Mrs Reeves’s hated new policy comes into force next April, said: ‘All previous farmers’ protests had been peaceful and well organised; It is an awareness event that aims to raise the legitimate concerns of UK farmers about the dismal outlook for UK farming businesses.
Tractors line up in Whitehall during earlier farmers’ protest against inheritance tax raid
‘Given that pro-Palestinian marches and much more divisive marches took place on the same day, including the Tommy Robinson march and the Stand Against Racism March, I do not believe there is any basis for any of the reasons given for canceling the tractor convoy.
‘Two tiers of policing scream out to protect the government from further negative publicity on another budget day that is likely to bring further hardship not just to farmers but to working families from all walks of life.’
Mr Charlesworth Sr, 78, was found hanged the day before budget day last October 29, after reading rumors about a planned tax raid.
Conservative MP Sir John Hayes, chairman of the Common Sense group, said: ‘It should not be beyond the intelligence of the Metropolitan Police to allow such activities.
‘It seems strange that they allow the most outrageous, extreme groups to demonstrate so much, but we cannot allow the farmers who feed the country.’
Clive Bailye of the Agricultural Forum, which organized the first tractor protest against the inheritance tax raid last November, said: ‘It feels like two tiers of policing. The Met’s feedback on our protest was that we enjoyed working together.
‘The organizers of this protest were assured that it could go ahead, then were told at 2.30pm today (Tuesday) that it could not go ahead.’
Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins MP said: ‘Farmers deserve answers. Police have worked with farmers over the past 12 days to ensure a safe and effective protest over vindictive Family Farm and Business Taxes, changing their mind with less than 24 hours to go.
‘What changed? It doesn’t smell very nice, especially when we consider the regular and frequent protests that are allowed in SW1, which mindlessly disrupt motorists, residents and businesses. Is this to save the Chancellor the embarrassment of a Broken Promises Budget?’
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘We have had a number of discussions with the protest organizers to manage the event safely.
‘Although people can still demonstrate, conditions have been put in place to prevent protesters from bringing vehicles, including tractors or other agricultural equipment, to the protest.
‘This decision has been taken due to the serious disruption it could cause to the local area, including businesses, emergency services and Londoners’ ability to go about their daily lives.’
