Protesting farmers take over Melton Mowbray town centre

They converged on Market Place to listen to passionate speakers who outlined how the inheritance tax would prevent some families passing on their farms to future generations and that land would have to be sold to pay the tax, impacting the nation’s ability to grow its own food.

During the protest event, a convoy of tractors made their way around the town in a loop, honking their horns while displaying placards such as ‘Use us or lose us’ and ‘No farmers, no food’.

Among those at the rally were the Morley family who farm arable at Old Dalby Lodge Farm, which has diversified by producing renewable energy and converting sheds into residential lets.

Joe Morley told the Melton Times: “This tax will have a massive impact on the industry.

"We are an arable farm and we just want a fair price for our produce so that we can pay this new tax.

“There is no money in the business to be able to pay it at the moment.”

His son, Fraser, commented: There are five of us who would inherit the farm. I am worried that land will have to be sold off to pay this tax when it comes to us inheriting it.”

Another local family farm at the protest were Ferneley’s, of Leesthorpe. They also diversified by making their own ice cream, setting up a cafe and vending milk to customers.

Multiple generations work on the farm, including 94-year-old Margaret Darlington, and they are concerned about the future and the impact of the tax when it comes to passing it on.

Melton and Syston MP Edward Argar described the assembled farmers as ‘national heroes and heroines’ for producing food for the nation.

In his speech he said: “We want politicians in Downing Street to start listening to you and listening to the voice of the countryside.

“They need to stop, think again and scrap this cruel and unnecessary family farm tax which comes on top of all the other pressures you are dealing with every single day.

"You are the beating heart of our rural communities, here in Melton and Syston but also up and down the country.”

The protest was organised by Midlands Farmers, an organisation formed after the autumn budget by Old Dalby farmer Simon Orson.

Mr Orson, who is also a Melton borough councillor for Long Clawson and Stathern, told the gathering: “This tax is a crude attack on family farmers, the local contractor, the grain trader, the butcher, the landlord.

"This is an attack on the countryside by an inconsiderate government.

"This won’t affect the large land owners, the billionaires who are using it to shelter from inheritance tax, it hits the family farm.

"Those who can least afford it.”

From April 2026, a 20 per cent tax will be charged on inherited farms which are valued at over £1million.

The government say this will impact around 500 of the 209,000 farms across the UK but farmers argue that many more will be affected.