Pancake Day protesters vow farm tax battle will continue

Thousands of farmers descended on central London yesterday for a Pancake Day rally”, where they vowed that they would not stop protesting against the government’s inheritance tax policy.

- ALEX CROFT

The largely good-natured demonstration turned angrier as the protesters, following behind a large green combine harvester as songs blasted from a loudspeaker, passed the Houses of Parliament, with crowds chanting: “We won’t back down.”

It was the fourth time in four months that farmers had flocked to Westminster to protest against the Labour government’s plans to introduce a 20 per cent inheritance tax rate on farms worth more than £1m: bringing to an end the previous 100 per cent tax exemption on all family farms being passed down.

After hundreds of tractors jammed Whitehall during previous rallies, protesters were ordered by the Metropolitan Police not to bring any unauthorised vehicles, or risk facing arrest. Seven farming vehicles were permitted.

Pancakes were a hot topic at the Shrove Tuesday rally, with protesters making clear on their placards that there can be no pancakes without British farmers.

Speaking from atop a combine harvester, shortly after a farmer had hurled pancakes into the crowd, National Farmers’ Union president Tom Bradshaw said farmers “will not go away”.