Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has thrown his weight behind farmers protesting against Labour’s controversial new inheritance tax on family farms, branding the policy “spiteful, punitive, and economically disastrous.”
As thousands of farmers descended on Westminster today to voice their anger over the tax changes, Mr Johnson offered his full-throated support, calling on the Government to scrap the policy immediately.
“End It Now,” Says Boris
In a statement issued this morning, Mr Johnson said: “Good luck to everyone protesting today against Labour’s demented family farm tax. Farmers work all hours and all year round to feed this country. We should be doing more to champion British food and keep our farmers on the land. Instead, Reeves is clobbering British agriculture with a tax that is spiteful, punitive, and economically disastrous. End it now.”
The former Prime Minister’s remarks have added fuel to a growing backlash against Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ inheritance tax reforms, which will see farms worth more than £1 million lose their tax-exempt status and face a 20 per cent levy from April 2026.
Farmers Rally Against Tax Changes
The protests in Westminster today have been organised by farming groups, including the National Farmers Union (NFU), who argue that the policy will force families to sell off land to meet tax bills, jeopardising the future of British agriculture.
Speaking to a packed crowd, NFU President Tom Bradshaw labelled the tax a “betrayal” and warned of its devastating consequences: “This isn’t just about inheritance. It’s about the survival of family farms, food security, and whether the next generation will even want to stay in farming.”
Thousands of farmers carried banners reading “Save Our Farms” and “Stop the Family Farm Tax,” while others drove tractors emblazoned with anti-tax slogans through Westminster.
Economic Damage and Food Security at Risk
Critics have pointed out that the £560 million the Government expects to raise annually from the tax will fund the NHS for just one day, questioning whether the policy is worth the economic and social damage it could inflict.
The farming sector has already warned of significant knock-on effects. By forcing land sales, the tax could reduce Britain’s agricultural capacity and increase reliance on imported food, further driving up costs for consumers.
“British farmers are the backbone of this country,” said one protester. “We’ve worked for generations to keep this land productive, and now Labour wants to rip it away.”
A Divisive Policy
While Labour insists the tax changes are necessary to ensure “fairness” in the tax system, critics argue they unfairly target a group that already faces significant challenges.
“This is not just economically reckless,” said Conservative MP Victoria Atkins, who joined the protesters. “It’s an attack on the very people who feed the nation. Labour is out of touch with rural Britain and blind to the consequences of this disastrous policy.”
Boris Johnson’s intervention adds significant political pressure on Sir Keir Starmer’s Government to reconsider the tax. With farmers united in opposition and public support for British agriculture running high, the controversy over Labour’s inheritance tax reforms shows no signs of dying down.
As a Conservative Party spokesperson added: “Farmers don’t ask for much. They work tirelessly to keep this country fed, often in tough conditions. The least we can do is back them, not burden them. Labour must scrap this tax before it does irreparable damage.”
After listening to and empathizing with the victim farmers, why is this man not in the Houses of Commons attacking the nanny-state Marxism of the Two Tier Kier Bolshevik party?