Changes to inheritance tax paid by farmers are “catastrophic” for the agricultural sector, a farmer has said.

Thousands of farmers are descending on the capital to protest today [Tuesday, November 19] against planned changes to agricultural property relief.

Farmers arrived at Church House Conference Centre where NFU members are meeting.

Tom Walton, a farmer from Buckinghamshire, told the PA news agency: “My motivation is to try and engage with the Government to make them understand why the changes that they’ve made in the Budget are so catastrophic for the agricultural sector and the nation’s food security in general.

“This is likely to be the first of many engagements that we have with the Government.

"If today is successful, then that’s terrific, and if not then we will continue to apply pressure.”

This comes as farming leaders have accused the Chancellor of refusing to engage with them over controversial changes to inheritance tax, as thousands of farmers marched towards  Westminster.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is holding a mass lobby of MPs with 1,800 of its members – three times as many people as originally planned – to urge backbenchers to stand up to the Government’s plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 million.

Many more joined a separate rally in Whitehall as they protest against last month’s Budget, which also sped up the phase-out of EU-era subsidies as funding is switched to nature-friendly farming schemes.

The Met Police estimated more than 10,000 people had joined the rally in central London shortly before midday – with “more arriving”.

Farmers have reacted with anger and dismay to the inheritance tax changes for farming businesses, which limit the existing 100% relief for farms to only the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business property.

Some warn they will have to sell off land to meet the costs and are threatening to strike over the pressures they say they are being put under by Government policy, while there are warnings over people’s mental health.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw gave a speech to members taking part in the mass lobby ahead of their meetings with MPs, at Church House, Westminster, in which he became emotional at moments as he highlighted the cost of the policy on farmers, as well as food security.

He said: “We know the horrendous pressure it is putting on the older generation of farmers who have given everything to providing food for this country.

“We know that any tax revenue will be taken from our children and raised from those that die in tragic circumstances, all within the next seven years.”

To sustained applause, he said: “The human impact of this policy is simply not acceptable, it’s wrong.”

He warned the policy was “kicking the legs out from under British food security”.

And he said: “Our request is very simple, this is a policy that will rip the heart out of Britain’s family farms, launched on bad data with no consultation, and it must be halted and considered properly.”