Farmers have made their way to London in large numbers for a Budget Day protest at the Chancellor’s inheritance tax reforms, despite the Met Police banning protestors from bringing tractors to the capital.
The move by the police, only confirmed yesterday, has prompted anger within the farming community. Farmer Colin Rayner, from Berkshire, told Farmers Weekly some farmers had already travelled from as far away as Devon when news of the effective cancellation of a planned protest broke.
Mr Rayner accused the Met Police of ‘two-tier policing’ and said the last-minute shutdown showed ‘one rule for farmers and another rule for others’.
He added: “As far as I know, fewer tractors were going this time than the last time – and there was no trouble at all last time. We are disappointed in the Met Police not being independent. Unfortunately, the government has now brought the fight to the farmers.”
Staffordshire farmer Clive Bailye, who organised the first London tractor rally said he was stunned by the 11th-hour decision.
“The previous London tractor protests passed off with no incident. The Met Police told us they wished every protest was as easy as working with farmers,” he said.
“You have to wonder what has gone on here behind closed doors and to what extent the government may have been involved in this decision.”
Opposition politicians also criticised the decision. Shadow Defra secretary Victoria Atkins said the Met Police’s decision to ‘suddenly backtrack’ on a previous decision to allow a protst ‘didn’t smell right’. “Who is it that’s so worrried about disruption on Whitehall on the day of the Budget? I wonder,” she said.
Met Police statement
The Met Police issued a statement denying it had cancelled the protest, but confirming a ban on tractors. It said: “Conditions have been placed on the farmers protest planned for tomorrow in Westminster.
People will still be able to demonstrate, however, conditions have been put in place to prevent protesters from bringing vehicles, including tractors or other agricultural vehicles, to the protest. This decision was taken due to the serious disruption they may cause to the local area, including businesses, emergency services and Londoners going about their day.”
This has not steopped farmers from all over the country bringing tractors into London this morning, ahead of Rachel Reeves Budget speech, in which it is considered highly unlikely she will shift her unpopular position on agricultural property relief and business property relief.