Several arrests as farmers defy Met Police tractor ban at Budget day protest

More than a dozen heavy-machinery vehicles could be seen across Whitehall early on Wednesday morning, as farmers descended on the capital to call on Rachel Reeves to scrap proposed inheritance tax changes.

Hundreds of agricultural workers drove their tractors towards Downing Street, despite the Metropolitan Police imposing conditions to prevent them bringing the vehicles to the demonstration.

The force warned that anyone failing to comply would be detained, and later announced that several arrests had been made.

In a statement, the Met said: "We have already spoken to a number of individuals this morning to advise them of the conditions.“The majority have listened to officers and complied with the conditions, however, several arrests have been made."

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The small army of tractors could be seen parked outside Parliament this morning, some with signs draped across them which read "Starmer farmer harmer" and "rural communities betrayed by Labour".

The vehicles brought rush-hour traffic to a standstill and repeatedly sounded their horns while officers stood around watching.

The Met said it stopped the vehicles in Richmond Terrace area, where any individual taking part in the farmers’ protest was forced to remain.

Reform UK said it would pay for the defence of farmers arrested at the demonstration, saying it was “outrageous”.

Reform leader Nigel Farage said: “The farmers’ planned protest on Whitehall has been cancelled by the police at the last moment.

"They have come to London and are now being arrested. This is outrageous.“Reform UK will provide full legal support to every farmer protesting peacefully today."

Farmers had intended to use Wednesday’s protest to add further pressure on Reeves to axe plans to introduce inheritance tax on farming land and businesses.

The Chancellor’s proposals to introduce a 20 per cent rate on agricultural land and businesses worth more than £1 million have become a political flashpoint for a sector struggling with rising costs, tough market conditions and worsening climate impacts.

One of those who drove up for the protest in their tractor was farmer Kurt Morten, who left his farm in Handover in Hampshire at 1.30am this morning.

"We want total abolishment of inheritance tax. Not just for farmers. For everybody. It's a death tax. Nobody should have to pay it," he told LBC.

"We are waiting to see if we will be taxed fresh air this afternoon. We are also hear to show them this is a warning shot. If they don't go on to change it, it'll be worse then this.

"We want to see common sense on everything. We fear there is going to be more taxes for everybody. We are not just hear today for farmers, we are here today for everyone."

Paul Gooding-Down, from Glastonbury in Somerset, was one of the protest organisers who had set up the original agreement with the Met, which allowed demonstrators to bring their tractors to London.

"We were originally told we could take tractors into Whitehall and were allowed to drop three loads of compost to show we are not going away and to show without us there is no food," he told LBC.

But because of the police U-turn, Mr Gooding-Down says hundreds of farmers are "stuck and there are tractors all over London".

"I left home at 9am yesterday morning and was told at 4pm that the Met had cancelled this agreement. I drove in this morning and was told by officers we were not allowed into London with any tractors or vehicles," he added.

"Our intention was just to come up and say we are here. If it means we have got just a little bit of chaos. But now we are trying to get round to where we should be and we can't get there. Now we are stuck and there are tractors all over London."

Today's protest the latest in a string of demonstrations by farmers against the proposed changes.

Last December, thousands of protesters gathered along Whitehall and angry farmers drove their tractors outside Parliament, demonstrating against the plans which farmers said put their businesses, futures and food security at risk.

In an event page set up for the protest by a group called Berkshire Farmers, organisers wrote that farmers were planning to drive to London to “demand fairness and a future for British farming”, adding that the current inheritance tax system “threatens family farms and rural livelihoods”.

In their Tuesday statement, the Met said the decision to ban agricultural machinery from Whitehall had been taken because of “serious disruption” the vehicles may cause to the local area, including businesses, emergency services and the public.

Following the police announcement, an administrator of the Berkshire Farmer Facebook group wrote that imposing the conditions with “this short of a notice” was a “malicious approach to preventing our right to protest, leaving little time for appeal or for facilitating their requests”.

The post added: “Therefore, we, Berkshire Farmers Group and all associated organisers including but not limited to George Brown, Dan Willis and Caroline Graham wish to inform all attendees that this protest has been cancelled by Dr Alison Heydari of the Metropolitan Police, and we absolve ourselves of all responsibilities for any attendance to this event. ”