Sussex farming leader praises ‘spectacular’ show of support for industry at day of action in London

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) held a mass lobby event where 1,800 NFU members, including many from Sussex, met with their MPs at Church House, Westminster, and in Parliament, on Tuesday, to highlight why the government must reconsider its planned changes to Inheritance Tax.

At the same time thousands of farmers, including many NFU members, joined the public and marched through Westminster.

NFU East Sussex Chair Martin Hole, who farms organic livestock with his family at Montague Farm, on the western edge of the Pevensey Levels Wetland of International Importance, was in London on Tuesday.

He said: “The day was a spectacular show of just how much farmers care.

“In the face of this impossible-to-pay tax, which could have a devastating impact on rural communities, there was a show of resolute determination from the industry.

“It was utterly incredible to see the number of farmers from across the UK who downed tools and turned up.”

The NFU is urging the government to reverse changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR), announced in the recent Budget, highlighting how they will severely damage the rural economy, badly hit family farms, impact farmers’ ability deliver national food security and could lead to food price rises in supermarkets.

The government plans to reform APR and BPR from April 2026.

This will mean farm businesses will need to pay a tax rate of 20% of agricultural assets valued over £1 million.

The NFU believes that this policy fails to recognise that, with the average farmer’s return on capital invested is less than 1%, many small and medium-sized family farm businesses will need to sell-up to pay the tax bill, having major repercussions for future generations.

The NFU rejects the government’s claims that around three quarters of farm businesses in England will be unaffected and highlights the contradictions between different government departments.

The Treasury claims that 73% of APR claims are below £1 million and so would be unaffected. However, Defra’s own figures show that only 66% of farms are worth more than the new £1 million threshold.

Speaking to NFU members at Church House on Tuesday, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said:

“There has never been a budget this bad for farming in my lifetime.

“This policy will rip the heart of out of Britain’s family farms, launched on bad data with no consultation and it must be halted and considered properly, taking in the views of the experts not just Treasury civil servants.”