'You Cannot Treat Our Farmers Like This in Britain': Tax-Protesting Farmers Bring Tractors to the Streets, Get Arrested

Hundreds of protesters from the agriculture sector descended on London on 26 November, demanding fair treatment for British farmers, only to be confronted by police restrictions banning tractors from the march. The demonstration, organised under the banner 'Farmers to London: Budget Day,' coincided with the Autumn Budget 2025 announcement at Westminster.

Farmers Clash with Police on Budget Day

Videos posted to TikTok and Instagram show tractors being blocked and removed by police as crowds chanted in support of farming families. One demonstrator, Alan Vibe said in a video, 'You cannot treat our farmers like this in Britain!' while others accused authorities of 'two-tier policing' for intervening in their transport methods.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that several farmers had been arrested due to 'refusal to comply with conditions' issued under public order legislation. These conditions specifically prohibited tractors and other agricultural vehicles from entering protest areas. According to police: 'People will still be able to demonstrate, however, conditions have been put in place to prevent protesters from bringing vehicles... due to the serious disruption they may cause.'

Many vehicles forced to halt on arrival were left parked around King's Cross, with some farmers trekking into Westminster on foot.

Rage Over Inheritance Tax as Farmers Demand Reversal

The protest centred on the government's decision to raise inheritance taxes on agricultural estates — a move farmers say threatens multi-generational family farms that rely on land transfer for survival.

Robbie Moore, Shadow Farming Minister, directly addressed protesters from Whitehall: 'There is a huge amount of anger, frustration, anxiety... because of the family farm tax... catastrophic consequences... not too late for the Chancellor to change course.'

As Rachel Reeves prepared to deliver the budget at 12:30pm, farmers held banners accusing ministers of 'breaking the trust of every farmer in the nation.'

Scottish farmer William Murray delivered a blunt message aimed at the government: 'You broke the trust of every farmer in the nation with Inheritance Tax. It has broken us.'

Nigel Farage and Opposition Figures Support Demonstration

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage condemned the arrests, arguing that peaceful protesters should not be criminalised for arriving in tractors. He pledged legal support, saying: 'They have come to London and are now being arrested. This is outrageous. Reform UK will provide legal support to every farmer protesting peacefully today.'

Support also came from Scottish Conservative MP Harriet Cross, who blasted the government's tax approach: 'The Chancellor's decision... will change the future of family farming forever... not for the better but for worse.'

The protest was further amplified by public figures, including Big Brother star Cameron Kinch, who echoed concerns over UK food security: 'We are just farming... it's too important not to have our voice heard.'

Police Defend Actions Amid Public Outrage

While many social media users accused officers of 'silencing farmers', the Metropolitan Police insisted the protest was not banned — only the use of heavy vehicles. Officials argued that blocking tractors was necessary to prevent traffic gridlock, disruption to businesses, and potential impact on emergency services.

'Vehicles cannot be allowed to disrupt public spaces,' a statement relayed by protesters summarised, as tractors were physically redirected around Trafalgar Square.

Yet the optics of police towing farming vehicles on Budget Day immediately drew backlash online. TikTok footage circulating under hashtags like #StandWithFarmers shows crowds shouting 'Shame on you!' at officers, while tractors honk in defiance.

Farmers Warn of Food Supply Crisis

Farmers insisted the protest was not solely about tax but about the future of Britain's food supply. Many argued that government policy risks pushing local agriculture to collapse, forcing the UK to rely on imported produce.

Cath and Ben Wordsworth, arable farmers from York, said: 'It's terrible and not just farmers will be affected. Machinery dealers, haulage... the government does not understand.'

As the Budget lands and the two-week pause on tractors turns into fines and arrests, the dispute over inheritance tax has sparked a wider reckoning about how the UK values its food producers. Whether the Government chooses to compromise, or the farming sector resorts to even larger demonstrations, could determine how Britain feeds itself in the years ahead.