'People don't realise how much the family farm tax will affect farms' - Angry farmers protest in Shrewsbury

The demonstration led by the Farmers to Action campaign group in Shrewsbury today (April 30) was the second in the county in recent months, and comes just a day before residents head to the polls for the local elections. 

Farmers rode around the town's streets in their tractors, tooting their horns, and parked up in The Square - delivering messages to the public and handing out flyers.

Banners on tractors read 'no farmers, no food' as farmers seek for what is dubbed as the 'family farm tax' to be abolished. 

Farmers have expressed their outrage at the Government's planned changes to inheritance tax and controversial decision to scrap a farming payment scheme.

And, farmers from across the region have promised to continue their protests until they see a reversal on the proposed tax change.

Henry Jones, 18, from Westbury near Shrewsbury has worked on his family 700-acre arable and beef farm for as long as he can remember. 

The young farmer joined the demonstration and told the public that will not be able to afford to his family farm. 

He said: "It was a very good turnout, there was a lot of positive support from the public. We had plenty of children coming up to see the tractors and we spoke to parents about how the inheritance tax was going to affect us.

"I won't be able to afford to take over the family farm. It is a large legacy that has been built up over 14 generations. It is something that I have always really wanted to carry on.

"People didn't realise how much this tax bill will be and how much it will affect British farms. People also don't realise how high our food standards are in the UK, such as that we can't use certain chemicals but other countries can and then sell in the British market.

"There are a lot of farms in Shropshire, and with the disappearance of farms there would be a lot less money circulating around the British economy. 

"The Government needs to remove the inheritance tax so the land can be freely passed between generations, but if we are to sell the ground for development or solar farms, which we aren't going to do, but if we did, then we can be subject to tax because a lot of farms are looking after the ground to pass it on to the next generation."

The event follows a demonstration led by the same group in Telford in March where farmers rode their tractors along Lawn Central outside Telford & Wrekin Council's base for more than an hour and a half.

Speaking on their efforts in Shrewsbury, organiser Alan Hughes said: "It went very well, we had 10-plus vehicles there parked on the square. There was lots of public support and had some candidates come to support us.

"We ran out of leaflets so that was great. A lot of residents were supporting us and thanked farmers for taking actions.

"The increasing cost of food due to profiteering supermarkets and the taxes by the Government which is making it more expensive for us to make food, so we are not breaking even or losing money to produce food at the expense of the Government and supermarkets who make millions off us.

"And, the tax on farmers and the public has to stop."