Suffolk farmers defiant after London protest rally

There was standing room only on trains to London on Tuesday as they braved the rain to take part in a good-natured rally addressed by a succession of speakers including TV celebrity Jeremy Clarkson, Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch and farmers from across the country. 

They are furious at what they consider a betrayal of previous pledges to leave the industry alone after a difficult few years for livestock and crop farmers.

Marchers in London (Image: David Barker)

Their chief concern is an end to an inheritance tax exemption for farm businesses, which from April 2026 will be taxed at 20% after the first £1million - or more if other allowances apply.

They fear suicides may already be occurring ahead of the change and are warning of the mental health toll on families faced with stark decisions about their futures. 

Suffolk and Essex National Farmers' Union (NFU) members spoke to their MPs about the issue as they assembled for a separate mass lobby event, addressed by their president, Colchester farmer Tom Bradshaw.

(Image: John Collen)

But Labour was standing firm - despite the many calls for a U-turn. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he understood farmers' concerns and "wants to support" them.

He said the vast majority of farms would be unaffected - a claim strongly disputed by farmers.

John Collen of Gisleham, near Lowestoft, was there with wife June and their children, Grace, 23, and Hamish, 20.

John Collen and family (Image: John Collen)

John's father, Bryan, is 86 and the family owns 1,500 acres of arable land and farms a further 3,000 acres.

The business employs 10 people and Hamish would like to farm after he has finished studying business at university. But the Budget will severely affect them, said John.

"It will decimate the farm. We have invested heavily in the business for the past 40 years - especially the last 10 years so we are already heavily borrowed," said John.

"We are fine but the pressure is huge and that translates into family pressures. That translates into financial pressures."

(Image: David Barker)

The one chink of light was that although it looked early on as though farmers were in for a disastrous autumn, the weather changed in time and they were able to get their crops harvested and new ones drilled, he said.

"I have never known the industry so despondent - all parts of the industry. I have never known anything like it - I have never known everyone so depressed," he added.

"This comes at a time when agriculture is at rock bottom. We have just had one of the worst harvests on record. People's stores are empty, their banks are empty, the price of grain is still below the cost of production."

Suffolk NFU members in the Houses of Parliament (Image: Adam Lazzari)

But protesters were heartened by the rally and inspired by the farmers who spoke at it, he said. "I think the strength of feeling was clear for all to see," he said.

Essex NFU vice chairman David Lord - who farms at Clacton - said his family owns 500 acres and farms 1800 acres and he believed the farm would be among those affected by the new rules.

His parents and he are joint owners in the business. By the time farm machinery was factored in, that took care of the £1m allowance, he said.

"When they are gone we are going to have a huge bill to pay," he said. "Things are so tight and we are trying to get things in place but we don't know when things are going to happen. It's not just the land, it's the machinery, it's the buildings, it's the stock."

There was a "huge depth of feeling" at the protest, he said, and a lot of anger, frustration and worry. 

"Whether you are one of the youngest people there or one of the oldest, every generation has been affected," he said.

"They are saying it's not going to affect many people but I think you could tell from the number of people there today that's wrong. We are one of the many who have had a chat with the accountant - and it's not pretty."

He added: "It takes away the incentive to do anything positive with the business. They want economic growth - they have just done the complete opposite."

(Image: John Collen)

Suffolk NFU chairman Glenn Buckingham said: "We need collective and collegiate action like this to point out this huge mistake by our new government. They had the opportunity to build trust with the farming community and they must correct the mistakes they have made."

George Gittus - who farms near Bury St Edmunds - said the Budget was not a Budget for growth but for stagnation at best.

"It has been important to come together to point out that the government has got its facts and figures completely wrong.

"I understand as many as 80% of farms will be extremely hard hit by this change to Inheritance Tax and this will badly impact of the local rural economy," he said.

"There is a huge amount of support for the changes to Inheritance Tax to be reversed and today is just the start of things."

Suffolk NFU members meeting Conservative MPs (Image: Elaine Joseland)

Jon Watt - who farms at Laxfield, near Eye, said he felt it was important to be at the rally to highlight "how damaging this ill thought-out Budget is to the farming community".

"The support we have had from the public has been incredible and there has been a great turnout of farmers from across the UK," he said.

"The government has to see this and reverse the changes to Inheritance Tax announced in the Budget."

Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Patrick Spencer warned Suffolk farmers would be disproportionately affected by the change because the size of average family farms here was around 400 acres.

“These cruel and ill-thought out proposals will disproportionately affect our hardworking farmers here in Suffolk," he said.