Farmers threaten ‘SEWAGE strike’ on Britain to ‘protect your kids’ futures’ after Rachel Reeves’ inheritance tax raid
FARMERS are threatening a "sewage" strike as fury mounts over Rachel Reeves' Autumn Budget raid on inheritance tax.
The co-ordinated plan would see farmers stop spreading sludge across their agricultural land.
The move risks causing mayhem for water treatment companies and causing pile-ups of enormous quantities of waste, reports.
Sludge, known as biosolids, is the remains of human waste once liquid has been removed - but also acts as a nutrient-rich soil fertiliser.
Farmers use around 3.6million tonnes of biosolids, compared to "rocket fuel" for soil, on their land every year.
The vast usage benefits both farmers and water treatment firms as it is eco-friendly and reduces the operational costs of sewage processing.
Read more in news
But a co-ordinated decision to halt the usage of sludge may leave water treatment firms scratching around to find a new way to dispose of it.
This could include dumping sludge in landfill or taking it to incinerators.
Threats have also been made to "name and shame" any farmers that continue to use biosolids during the strike.
Farmers have vowed to participate in the strike to "put our children's future first" or have "no hope at all".
Most read in The Sun
It comes after Ms Reeves announced a new 20 per cent levy on land and equipment worth over £1million that is passed down after a death in her statement to the Commons on Wednesday
The new tax has sparked a fierce backlash from the farming community, with National Farming Union chief Tom Bradshaw warning that farmers are ready to go "militant".
Mr Bradshaw has insisted that British farms are in real jeopardy over the new levy and slammed Treasury figures as being "wildly off".
Ms Reeves' Treasury team has said 27 per cent of farms will be affected by the new tax.
But the NFU chief claims nearly two-thirds of farms will actually be hit.
His warning came after a heated meeting with Environment Secretary Steve Reed on Tuesday morning.
As he left the meeting, Mr Bradshaw said: "We fully dispute the figures the Treasury has been using and we’ve played back Defra’s own figures.
“So, the Treasury is saying only 27 per cent of farms will be within scope of these changes, Defra’s own figures suggest that two-thirds of farms will be in scope.
“How they can have that wide a discrepancy within Government is quite unbelievable."
Calling on ministers to swiftly U-turn on the tax raid, he said: "There’s certainly no resolution today, we’ve made very passionately our perception clear: that this tax change is completely unfair."
Farmers have warned that warned family farms may have to be sold off, leading to a dramatic drop in food production and supplies running low.
Gareth Wyn Jones, who runs Tyn Llwyfan Farm in Wales, told The Sun: “Affordable food is produced by farmers.
“What we’re going to do is lose land. If these family farms are hit with a big bill after a bereavement, they’ll have to sell.”
Ms Reeves was also accused of “signing a death warrant” for thousands of multi-generational businesses as the tax is imposed on other family-run firms for the first time since 1970.
Does the Treasury Really Grasp the Diverse Realities of Farming across the UK?
By MARTINA BET, Political Correspondent
THE recent decision by Chancellor Rachel Reeves to impose a 20 percent inheritance tax on properties valued over £1 million has sparked outrage among farmers.
They say the tax raid could cripple family farms, which often operate on razor-thin margins and face unique financial pressures.
But ministers are doubling down on claims that only a “small number” of farms will be affected, pointing to Treasury analysis that suggests just 27 percent will be hit.
This morning, NFU President Tom Bradshaw slammed the figures as “wildly off” and insisted nearly two-thirds of farms could actually feel the pinch.
His frustration highlights a growing divide between the government’s perception of the agricultural sector and the reality faced by farmers on the ground.
Land values vary dramatically by region, and a one-size-fits-all tax threshold doesn’t cut it.
In high-value agricultural areas, many farms are worth well over £1 million, while others may not even come close, skewing the real picture.
With farmers already battling skyrocketing costs, it is almost beyond question this tax could have devastating consequences for the future of British agriculture.
And no matter how much the Government tries to hide behind their analysis, the truth is that farmers’ concerns won’t just fade away.
Clive Bailey, an arable farmer in Staffordshire, also warned the agricultural sector could unleash “massive disruption” in response.
He told Times Radio: “When people find themselves in situations where they have nothing to lose, they become quite dangerous people."
“Farmers have a huge ability to cause massive disruption if they went that route.”
Sun columnist and Diddly Squat Farm owner Jeremy Clarkson also said farmers have been "shafted".
A government spokesperson said: "We understand concerns about changes to Agricultural Property Relief and the Defra Secretary of State and Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury met with NFU President Tom Bradshaw today.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“Ministers made clear that the vast majority of those claiming relief will not be affected by these changes. They will be able to pass the family farm down to their children just as previous generations have always done.
“This is a fair and balanced approach that protects the family farm while also fixing the public services that we all rely on. We remain committed to working with the NFU and listening to farmers.”
