'Back British Farming' Thirsk rally: Hundreds gather to take part in Yorkshire inheritance tax protest

On Tuesday (Nov 19), hundreds turned out in the North Yorkshire town holding banners calling for ministers to “Back British Farming”.

The protest coincided with protests in London, where thousands of farmers gather to lobby minister in Westminster about plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 million.

The Thirsk rally was organised by Phil and Clare Wise, who farm at nearby Skipton-on-Swale, for those who couldn’t make it to London.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) organised the mass lobby of MPs with 1,800 of its members - three times as many people as originally planned.

Many more joined a separate rally in Whitehall as they protest against last month's Budget, which also sped up the phase-out of EU-era subsidies as funding is switched to nature-friendly farming schemes.

Among the farmers and supporters in London was Jeremy Clarkson, who owns the Diddly Squat Farm in the Costswolds.

In London, NFU president Tom Bradshaw gave a speech to members taking part in the mass lobby ahead of their meetings with MPs, at Church House, Westminster, in which he became emotional at moments as he highlighted the cost of the policy on farmers, as well as food security.