AS farmers gathered in Westminster to protest about UK Government changes to inheritance tax, others headed to the Livestock Market in Ross-on-Wye to show their support for the farming community.

Last month, the UK Government announced changes to inheritance tax, which will see farmland worth more than £1 million taxed at 20 per cent from April 2026. 

The National Farmers’ Union estimates that two thirds of farmers would be affected by the changes although the Labour government insists that 75 per cent of farmers will not be affected.

Farmers fear the reintroduction of the inheritance tax will effectively prevent family farms being passed from one generation to the next, without a large debt to accompany the inheritance.

The national protest centred on Westminster farmers from Ross, Monmouth and surrounding countryside descended upon Ross livestock market in a show of solidarity for the industry.

Although the NFU has not organised this event in Ross, the union states that it supports members and farmers who wish to attend rallies around the country but cannot make it to London.

Organised by farmer’s wife Emma Mapp, she welcomed everybody to the market and thanked Ross Livestock market for allowing them to use the venue.

Also speaking were Lucie Hammond from Hazlewoods Accountants, David Edwards, an agricultural supplies merchant and Ellie Lovell, the Farmers Weekly Young farmer of the Year.

Ellie spoke passionately to the crowd on how her family will suffer due to the upcoming changes to Agricultural Property Relief.

“I’m a third-generation farmer, my grandfather's 89, we have 900 dairy cows we employ 15 members of staff. My father works full time in the business, my brother works full time and as it sounds right now that we’re going to be subject to two lots of inheritance tax. My father is 60 and realistically, my grandfather's not going to live seven years to pass it down.

“My father who has worked on the farm all his life, believing he will get the farm, for inheritance tax purposes he’s now going to have to gift it to me or my brother and get no benefit from it.”