Around 80 tractors will drive around the inner ring road and into York city centre tomorrow in a major protest against the ‘family farm tax’.
The farmers’ demonstration will begin at 9am at York Livestock Centre and take place for most of the morning.
Organiser Anna Longthorp said 80 tractors had signed up – but told YorkMix she expects to see many more on the day.
Farmers have reacted with anger and dismay to the inheritance tax changes for farming businesses, which limit the existing 100% relief for farms to the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business property.
The move could affect around 250 farms in York.
During the meeting at the Livestock Centre the farmers will be addressed by public speakers. Then the tractors will go onto the ring road 20 at a time, from around 10.30am.
It costs £5 for tractors to take part in the protest, with all proceeds going to York Food Bank.
The route, displayed above, will see the tractors leave from the Livestock Centre and head down Murton Lane, onto Murton Way, and then join the Osbaldwick Link Road.
They will then go down the A1079 on Hull Road, all the way up to the Lawrence Street junction in the city centre.
The tractors will then turn left onto Barbican Road and go towards Tower Street.
They will then loop round both Skeldergate and Lendal Bridge, heading towards Lord Mayors Walk and through Monkgate, towards Foss Islands Road.
The protest is bound to cause some disruption on the roads.
Organised only days ago, it’s a fast turnaround for those attending.
There’s also a large scale “RIP British Farming” protest taking place in London tomorrow, but the York protest is for those who want their voices heard without having to make the journey down to the capital.
‘Feeling of real anger’
One of the organisers, Anna Longthorp, is a farmer from North Yorkshire.
She says they are endeavouring to carry out the protest in a way to cause as little disruption to road users as possible. But they’re keen to get their message across.
Anna told YorkMix: “There’s a real feeling of anger, frustration, stress and anxiety amongst all farmers.
“So we wanted to put something on and show solidarity, whilst continuing to put pressure on the government to make them see that what they’re doing is completely wrong.
“They’ve got all their figures wrong, and they’re just kicking farmers when they’re already down.”
She believes the meeting is a chance for farmers, who often don’t leave their own farm, to come together at a stressful time.
“People are feeling like there’s no hope, farmers’ mental health is a real issue at the moment, they’re just taking a real kicking and it can be very isolating,” she added.
Cllr Chris Steward, leader of the Conservative group on York council, said that he stands with the famers in their fight against Labour’s changes to inheritance tax.
He said: “Last month we tabled a council motion which highlighted the many downsides to the changes which if brought in would see farmland switch from families to rich overseas individuals, large companies and trust funds.
“Even the Labour government ministers have spoken about how their tax can potentially be avoided with financial planning. This is only true in some cases but it is a crazy situation when a government is actively talking up avoidance of its taxes.
“Farmers do a superb job working for us all in all weathers and every day and we should be helping them to give us food security, rather than harming them.”
For more information on the protest, click here.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “We have been very clear we are not going to change course on this policy.
“It was necessary to take tough decisions at the Budget and the spending review and those decisions remain.
“But our commitment to farmers is steadfast and our message to farmers is clear, that is why we provided £5 billion to the farming budget over two years including more money than ever for sustainable food production.”