Fields of screams as farmers from Hampshire and Surrey unite in 'tractor tax' protest

“Wherever we go, people want to know, who we are” were the chants from Waterloo to Whitehill on a cold and wet morning in central London.

There was no mistaking the source as the chant "we're the farmers" echoed through the capital’s streets, as farmers from Surrey and Hampshire joined their counterparts from across the UK in protesting a "reckless" budget that has caused widespread dismay in rural communities.

Farmers from Farnham, Runfold and the Surrey Hills were among a huge crowd protesting against plans to slap an inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 million.

Lottie Anne, a north east Hampshire farmer who was raised in Farnham, said she and many counterparts feel the “family farm tax” is the final straw, coming on top of multiple new taxes and regulations.

Bob Wilton, of Abbeylands, believed that the government was harbouring an anti-rural agenda.

Those views were shared by more than a dozen speakers, with Jeremy Clarkson summing things up by urging the government to “be big” and admit they’ve made a big mistake.