Farmers' tractor demo over tax row goes to council

Farmers have staged a demonstration with tractors outside council offices in Telford in the continuing row over the government's plan to change inheritance tax.

More than 20 farmers drove their machines from livestock markets in Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth to gather near Darby House, a Telford and Wrekin Council building.

One, Alan Hughes, hoped the protest would lead the authority to apply pressure on the government to reverse proposals that would see inheritance tax applied to agricultural assets worth more than £1m.

The government, which announced the plan in its autumn statement previously said: "This is a fair and balanced approach, which fixes the public services we all rely on".

Mr Hughes, who farms on the county's border, said the farmers decided to hold the protest at Darby House as it was the Labour-run council that "had the power to see sense".

In a statement, the council said the action was against "a national government policy" and "not a local government issue".

Mr Hughes said those who gathered wanted to send a message to the council to back them ahead of the Chancellor's Spring Statement on Wednesday and Shropshire's local election in May.

From April 2026, agricultural assets valued at more than £1m will be liable to the tax at 20% - half the usual inheritance tax rate.

Mr Hughes said the "notorious death tax" would "force most farmers out of business".

"All this will drive the cost of food up for the public," he said.

"We are a core industry... a nation that cannot feed itself, does not have a nation."

Henry Jones, who is a 14th generation farmer in Westbury, said the impact of the the changes would "severely affect, if not end, British farms".

"It's a shame really, it's a big legacy that I've always been brought up to believe that I will be taking it on, but I simply won't be able to afford to," he explained.

He added that trying to figure out how his family would be able to "come back" from the proposed taxes, was "a rather large weight to bear".

Clare Millington and her family have owned a farm between Shrewsbury and Church Stretton since 1948.

She said she hoped the government would "take note" of bodies like the NFU, which previously said the proposed changes "would not work".

"The government really need to take their blinkers off and admit they are wrong", Ms Millington added.

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