Before dawn broke, 16-year-old Tom Lucas from Cambridgeshire made the decision to skip college and instead drove his 1970 Massey Ferguson tractor towards London at a steady 16 miles per hour.

Driven by the distressing thought of potentially losing his family’s farm, which has been in their possession for generations, Lucas embarked on this eight-hour journey to participate in a protest against proposed changes to inheritance tax relief affecting farmers.

He joined hundreds of tractors, farm machinery, and even tanks lined up along Whitehall as the agriculture community continued to voice their opposition to the new taxation policies.

Despite widespread backlash, Labour has remained firm in its stance, refusing to retract its plans to implement a 20 percent inheritance tax on farms valued above £1 million.

The proposed measures have sparked outrage from farmers and the food sector alike. In a wave of solidarity, major supermarket chains have supported the National Farmers Union’s appeal to overturn the policy, leading thousands of farmers to march in London following the recent budget announcement.

The protest on Monday was spearheaded by Save British Farming, a campaign group established by Liz Webster, who previously claimed the government is fostering a damaging culture war through its budget decisions.

Describing his arduous journey, Lucas expressed that it was “f***ing uncomfortable” and estimated he would return home around 3 a.m. on Tuesday. He is already an entrepreneur, having started a contracting business while still attending school, and purchased his first tractor on his 15th birthday; he now owns two.

The Lucas family operates a modest arable farm in Cambridgeshire, which has been passed down for nearly a century.

“It’s devastating, absolutely devastating,” Lucas shared. “To take over our little family farm, which spans 130 acres, I’d have to come up with a significant amount of money.

“The tax liability I’d face is more than what I would typically earn in a year. It could take us five years just to pay that off, and ideally, you should be able to draw a salary for your work.

“I don’t know any farmer who pays themselves a wage. Everyone’s doing it out of passion.”

He continued, “My great-grandfather started this farm, then my grandfather, then my uncle, and I hope it will be mine too. But if things keep going this way, the future is uncertain… it’s truly heartbreaking.”

Among those joining the protest were Richard Shepherd and his wife, Zoe, who are set to inherit the family dairy farm in Cheshire. They came to Westminster along with his parents, Ivan and Judy.

Shepherd revealed that their dairy farm faces a potential inheritance tax bill of £1 million. “The issue is that we already sell a lot just to cover that cost, which can hinder our working capital needed to produce milk and sustain future operations,” he explained.

He added, “Unfortunately, our industry already struggles financially, making it difficult to invest in daily operations and earn a living. With the inheritance tax on top of that, it risks crippling businesses across the country.”

Having risen early that morning, he and Ivan had already put in a few hours working on the farm before heading to the protest, with Ivan noting, “You don’t take time off.”

James Hardstaff, who claimed he’s “long past retirement age” but continues to work, traveled from Nottinghamshire on his vintage tractor. His family has farmed their land near Linby for over 300 years, and he represents the ninth generation in this legacy.

Hardstaff hopes to pass his farm down to his son and grandchildren but considers the inheritance tax changes a threat to their heritage. “This will significantly impact our family. It’s going to be tough,” he stated.

The family’s farm comprises over 2,000 acres, where they cultivate cereals, vegetables, and sugar beet. Nonetheless, surging costs in recent years have created financial strain.

“It won’t make things easier,” he concluded. “We are stuck with this government for another four years, and that’s not promising for us. The changes to the inheritance tax have compounded many issues we’ve been facing.”