PM Keir Starmer’s Stance on Hunger Sparks Debate, While Frustrating Farmers

Prime Minister Kier Starmer in his opening address at the G20 Summit, talked about ending hunger and poverty commending efforts made by his government in this regard. He is saying this precisely at the same time as tens of thousands of Farmers descended on London to protest the fact he is making them all bankrupt.
Labour government’s argument is not watertight
Talk of doubling down. This is exactly what Prime Minister Keir Stammer is doing here. In their defence, the government has stated that these reforms are intended to make the tax system fairer, primarily targeting the wealthiest estates while protecting smaller family farms. They claim the vast majority of farms will not be affected, with only around 500 estates per year expected to pay more under the new rules. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact of the matter is that this policy will undermine food security, discourage investment in farming, and break the generational chain of land ownership in farming families. The Labour government insists that the measure is meant only to target rich, ‘tax-dodging’ farmers. This claim is bolstered by the number-crunchers at the Treasury. They argue that, since there were just 462 inherited farms valued at over £1 million in 2021-22, it is reasonable to suppose that the number of farmers affected by the new tax will be somewhere in the region of 500 per year. Surely such a tiny number of farmers must be inordinately rich if they qualify – right?
The problem is that the Labour government has crunched the numbers in a very particular, self-serving way. After all, the National Farmers Union and the Country Land and Business Association warn that as many as 70,000 farms will be affected by the move. They do so on the basis of calculations, verified by the government’s own Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), that around 30-35% of British farms are worth over £1 million. With a total of 209,000 farm holdings in the nation as a whole, that yields a figure of around 70,000. Whether they are hit this year or the next does not change the fact that diligent farmers who care for their posterity must now live in the shadow of a looming tax bill—one that, given the considerable number of those in agriculture who are asset-rich but cash-poor, is likely to put many of the people producing British food out of business. The labour government is simply hoping to distract its citizens with their 500 farmers per-year figure.
Public and political reaction to the policy madness
As a result, there have been protests from farmers, indicating strong opposition to these changes. This includes tractor protests in various locations, highlighting the discontent within the farming community. Opinion on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) reflects a mix of support for farmers against what they see as undue financial pressure, and arguments for tax fairness, suggesting that these changes target tax avoidance by the wealthy rather than small farmers.
Would you shake up your farmers to cover a budget deficit?
These tax changes could potentially reduce land prices by discouraging investment from those looking to avoid inheritance tax through land ownership, which might benefit younger or new farmers looking to buy land. There are discussions about alternative or additional measures, like considering the actual farming activity for relief or extending the period for tax-free transfers before death. The pretext given by the government is that there is a huge need to fill the “black hole” in public finances. Even if we grant this, is it really in the national interest for the state to shake down your farmers for this money?
Affecting food security for 500 million pounds
Leaving aside the £3 billion this government spends each year putting up illegal immigrants in hotels at our expense, according to a Conservative Way Forward report public sector bodies have long wasted up to £212 million of tax money enlisting the services of DEI tsars across all kinds of institutions like the NHS.
The same report found that £880 million of public money has been injected into the coffers of so called ‘charities’ that push open borders, trans ideology, and climate alarmism. Overall, it was estimated that “over £7 billion worth of savings … are to be had by the British taxpayer if the government stops funding the politically motivated campaigns that are polarising Britons and making them poorer. It is due to political ideology, not fiscal necessity, that Starmer has chosen to raid farmers. The situation becomes even more absurd when we consider that the Treasury itself expects the new inheritance tax to raise little more than £500 million per year by the end of the decade. Put in perspective, that is the equivalent of 25 hours’ worth of NHS spending.
The profound damage of the British countryside
The new measure is likely to do profound damage to the integrity of the countryside. Families too poor to foot a six-figure tax bill upon the death of a loved one may have no choice but to sell the lot—and there can be little doubt that all manner of vultures, from global conglomerates to tasteless property developers, are already swirling around these rural homes in the hope of taking advantage.
Jeremy Clarkson, has been even more defiant, accusing the Labour government of “ethnically cleansing” the countryside so that they can build “new immigrant towns” on the “carpet-bombed” farmland. It is not a coincidence that the Labour-run Welsh government regards its own rural communities as too white and in need of a curative ‘anti-racist’ onslaught.
Uk and France farmers protests share common themes
The farmers’ protests in the UK and France share some common themes but also have distinct national characteristics. A significant point of contention for French farmers has been the EU-Mercosur trade deal, which would allow tariff-free imports of agricultural products from South America, potentially undercutting French produce. Like in the UK, French farmers are protesting against the EU’s environmental policies, particularly the Green Deal. This includes criticism over pesticide bans and the requirement to leave land fallow, which they argue reduces their productivity.
French and British farmers fighting cheaper imports
French farmers are dealing with low farmgate prices due to supermarket pricing strategies, high production costs, and competition from both within the EU and from external markets. The French government has tried to appease farmers with measures like not banning pesticides that are allowed elsewhere in Europe, financial aid, and tax breaks, but these have often been seen as insufficient or temporary.  Additionally, the protests in France have a strong political dimension, with various political groups trying to leverage the situation. The farmers’ discontent has been utilized by both far-right and traditional rural political entities to criticize the government’s policies. Both UK and French farmers are against the influx of cheaper agricultural products from outside their respective regions, which they argue undermines local agriculture.
There is a push in both nations for policies that prioritize local food production over potentially cheaper but less regulated imports. Protests in both countries aim to raise public awareness about the challenges farmers face, from economic to regulatory, and the importance of supporting domestic agriculture for food security and cultural heritage. French protests have often been more disruptive, with large tractor convoys blocking major roads and cities, whereas UK protests might involve more localized actions or symbolic protests like those planned for London. While the UK focuses on inheritance tax and post-Brexit trade, French protests are more centred around EU policies, environmental regulations, and immediate economic survival.
UK protests: a broader European agricultural crisis
You can see that the protests reflect a broader European agricultural crisis where farmers feel squeezed between economic realities, environmental policies, and global trade dynamics. Both countries’ governments are under pressure to find solutions that balance these competing interests while ensuring the sustainability of farming communities. It takes a mixture of courageous leadership and genuine patriotism to ensure that the focus of politics remains the flourishing of the country as a whole. And I think the Labour government in the United Kingdom needs to be reminded of this.
Written By Tatenda Belle Panashe