Tractors roll into Westminster as farmers protest Budget’s “family farm tax”

Farmers brought rush hour traffic to a standstill in Westminster on Wednesday, defying a police ban on agricultural vehicles to protest against the UK Government’s Autumn Budget and its proposed inheritance tax reforms.

Dozens of tractors entered central London from early morning, with signs reading “Starmer farmer harmer” and “rural communities betrayed by Labour.” The protest, organised under the banner Farmers to London: Budget Day, saw vehicles converge on Parliament Square and Whitehall as Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her statement in the Commons.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that several arrests were made after protesters breached conditions banning tractors from entering the area. At least 20 vehicles were stopped in Richmond and Westminster, but many reached the heart of government, where demonstrators called for the proposed “family farm tax” to be scrapped.

Journalist Toby Young described the protest as a “furious” response to Budget plans that would “force many to sell up.”

FUW: “Step in the right direction, but not enough”

The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) said the Budget offered only a partial concession to Welsh family farms, with damaging inheritance tax reforms still set to come into force next April.

FUW President Ian Rickman welcomed the Chancellor’s decision to make the proposed relief for the first £1 million of agricultural and business assets transferable between spouses — a measure the Union had repeatedly called for.

“This is a step in the right direction, and one that will help ease the challenges of succession planning for many farming families,” said Rickman.

“It is also encouraging to note that the lifetime gifting rules remain unchanged — a mechanism the Union had urged the Treasury to preserve.”

However, Rickman warned that the wider reforms still represent an existential threat to Welsh family farms, risking unaffordable tax bills for those seeking to inherit and continue the family business.

“The Chancellor’s decision to press ahead with the government’s broader proposals for inheritance tax reform remains deeply disappointing, if unsurprising. These changes still risk causing lasting damage to rural communities.”

The FUW said it would continue lobbying MPs across all parties to support amendments to the Budget that would “ensure family farms can be passed on with confidence to the next generation.”

Gareth Wyn Jones: “We will not be silenced”

Welsh hill farmer and broadcaster Gareth Wyn Jones joined the protest in Westminster, sharing footage from Parliament Square and Trafalgar Square on social media.

In one video, he said:

“We’re here to stand up for our communities, our families, and our future. This Budget is a betrayal of everything rural Wales stands for.”

Jones also posted images of tractors lined up outside HM Treasury and called on MPs to “listen to the countryside before it’s too late.”

“We will not be silenced. Family farms are the backbone of Wales — and we’re not going anywhere.”

His posts were widely shared across farming networks and drew support from rural campaigners across the UK.

For full coverage of the Autumn Budget 2025 and its impact on Wales, read our explainer here.

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Autumn Budget 2025: Westminster leak, Welsh impact

A Budget delivered in chaos

Rachel Reeves rose to deliver her Autumn Budget in the Commons — but the drama had already begun. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had accidentally published its forecasts online 40 minutes before she spoke, leaving MPs scrolling through graphs on their phones as the Chancellor tried to set out her plans. Treasury minister Torsten Bell, the newly‑elected MP for Swansea West, was seen passing his mobile to Reeves as she scribbled notes onto her speech.

BBC economics editor Faisal Islam called the leak “wild,” describing it as “history of the wrong sort” and noting that all the market‑critical fiscal numbers were out in the open before Reeves even stood up.

The deputy speaker, Nusrat Ghani, had already admonished ministers for the sheer volume of leaks and pre‑announcements surrounding the Budget, suggesting the government may have breached the ministerial code even before the OBR error.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch seized on the chaos, branding the whole episode a “circus” and accusing Reeves of becoming “the first chancellor to release the whole Budget ahead of time.”

The OBR has promised to explain how the mistake happened at a press conference later in the afternoon, where officials are expected to face tough questions about why their report was published before the Budget was even public.

Tax thresholds frozen until 2031

After the drama over leaks, Reeves confirmed one of the most contentious measures: income tax and National Insurance thresholds will remain frozen until 2031. “I know that maintaining these thresholds is a decision that will affect working people,” she told MPs. The OBR estimates 780,000 more people will be pulled into paying income tax by 2029–30. Badenoch accused her of breaking promises, saying Reeves had “sworn last year it was a one‑off.”

Families see benefit cap scrapped

In contrast, Reeves announced the scrapping of the two‑child benefit cap from April 2026, saying every child “deserves an equal chance.” Welsh Labour highlighted that 69,000 children in Wales will benefit, with First Minister Eluned Morgan welcoming the change as a step to tackle child poverty.

Pensions and savings face new limits

Turning to pensions, Reeves said she would cap salary sacrifice contributions at £2,000 from 2029, describing it as a “pragmatic step.” PensionBee warned the change “punishes hard‑working savers” and risks discouraging employers from supporting workplace schemes.

Savings products were also reshaped. From 2027, under‑65s will only be able to put £12,000 into cash ISAs, with the rest reserved for investments. Over‑65s will retain the full £20,000 cash allowance. Industry experts criticised the move as “needless complexity” that could penalise groups who rely more heavily on cash savings.

Motoring and property charges

Drivers will face new costs too. Electric vehicles will be subject to a mileage‑based excise duty from 2028 — 3p per mile for battery cars and 1.5p for plug‑in hybrids. Disabled drivers using the Motability scheme will find luxury models removed, with Reeves saying the scheme must return “to its original purpose.”

Property owners at the top end of the market will also pay more. From 2028, homes worth over £2m will face an annual charge of £2,500, rising to £7,500 for those above £5m. Reeves said the measure would raise £400m by 2031 and affect fewer than 1% of properties.

Energy bills, gambling and devolved funding

Household energy bills will fall by around £150 from April as green levies are scrapped. Gambling taxes will rise sharply, with remote gaming duty increasing from 21% to 40% and online betting duty from 15% to 25%. Bingo duty will be abolished from 2026.

Wales will receive an additional £505m in Barnett consequentials and £425m in fiscal flexibilities, giving the Welsh Government almost £1bn in extra spending power. Ministers in Cardiff will decide how to allocate this funding across health, education and infrastructure.

What happens next

The immediate changes — higher minimum wages, pension uprating, and the end of the two‑child cap — will be felt from April 2026. ISA reforms and energy bill savings arrive in 2027, while the mansion tax and EV mileage duty begin in 2028. The salary sacrifice cap takes effect in 2029, and tax thresholds remain frozen until 2031.

For households in South West Wales, the Budget brings both near‑term changes to pay packets and benefits, and longer‑term reforms to pensions, savings and motoring costs. England‑only measures such as rail fare and prescription freezes will not apply, with the Welsh Government deciding how to spend its share of the additional funding.

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Call to scrap VAT on sunscreen as skin cancer rates rise in Wales

The South Wales West politician pressed Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford in the Senedd this week after earlier calls to treat sunscreen as a health essential rather than a cosmetic product.

Mr Drakeford confirmed that Treasury officials had told Welsh Government there were “no plans” to change VAT rules. But he added he was prepared to raise the issue again with new ministers in London, following Ms Williams’ intervention.

“Not a luxury”

Ms Williams said sunscreen should be seen as a life‑saving product, not a luxury item:

“Skin cancer is almost entirely preventable, and yet it currently accounts for almost half of all cancers in Wales. The high cost is stopping some people from practising good skin safety – trying to make it go further by not applying enough, not regularly enough, or not at all.”

She added that removing VAT could encourage more people to use sunscreen properly and reduce pressure on the NHS.

Cancer rates and cost concerns

• Wales has the highest rate of skin cancer of any UK nation, according to Public Health Wales.
• Research by the charity Melanoma Focus found half of people in the UK think sunscreen is too expensive, while one in ten don’t use it at all because of the cost.

What happens next

Mr Drakeford told the Senedd he would be “willing to raise the point” again with the Treasury, given the arguments put forward and recent changes in personnel.

Campaigners say the move could make a practical difference to families struggling with the cost of living, while also helping to cut avoidable cancer cases.

Related sun safety stories

New study says Welsh primary school pupils need to get ‘sunproofed’
Swansea University research found fewer than half of Welsh primary schools have a sun safety policy in place for pupils.

Boots will no longer sell its own-brand sun cream with an SPF lower than 15
High street chemist Boots phases out lower SPF products to encourage safer sun protection, in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support.

Popular sunscreens failing to live up to sun protection claims, Which? reveals
Consumer tests found some big-name products did not meet their advertised SPF or UVA protection levels.

Health board issues warning after child sunburn cases at Swansea hospital burns unit
Doctors at Morriston Hospital urged parents to take extra care after several youngsters were admitted with severe sunburn.

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‘Pay now or face the consequences’ – last chance to return wrongly‑claimed Covid cash

A new Covid Voluntary Repayment Scheme, launched by the UK Government on Friday 12 September, gives a “no questions asked” window until December 2025 for anyone to return pandemic‑era funds they were not entitled to, or no longer needed.

The scheme covers all Covid support programmes – including furlough, bounce‑back loans, business support grants and Eat Out to Help Out – and applies to individuals as well as companies.

Undercover checks and tougher powers ahead

Covid Counter‑Fraud Commissioner Tom Hayhoe said the offer is a final chance to “wipe the slate clean” before new investigatory powers come into force next year.

“Pay now, clear your conscience, or face the consequences,” he warned. “This money belongs in communities, the NHS, police and armed forces. Those who don’t take up this straightforward offer and have knowingly, wrongly claimed taxpayer‑funded help could face prosecution, disqualification, or prison. The digital trail is forever – the time to settle is now.”

From 2026, the government will have expanded powers to investigate and prosecute Covid fraud, shut down businesses, and ban directors. Thousands could face court action, with the most serious offenders jailed.

Public urged to report suspected fraud

Alongside the repayment scheme, a new Covid fraud reporting website has been launched so members of the public can flag suspected wrongdoing.

The Treasury says more than £10 billion was lost to fraud, flawed contracts and waste during the pandemic. Around £1.54 billion has already been recovered, but ministers want to claw back far more before the deadline.

‘Extraordinary circumstances’

Mr Hayhoe said many small businesses made honest mistakes in the chaos of the pandemic, but some knowingly took money they shouldn’t have.

“I’ve spoken to hundreds of small business owners who’ve told me they wanted help but the rules kept changing and advice was confusing. Some took bad decisions at the time that are eating away at them – it’s keeping them awake at night. This scheme gives them the chance to put it right, without lengthy investigations or public shame.”

How to repay or report

• Details of the Covid Voluntary Repayment Scheme are available on the UK Government website.
• Suspected Covid fraud can be reported via the Covid fraud reporting service.

The scheme runs until 31 December 2025. After that, the “no questions asked” offer will be withdrawn and tougher sanctions will apply.

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