Kent farmers are joining those converging on Westminster for a protest against changes to inheritance tax, which they warn spells the death of the British farming industry.

On Wednesday, hundreds of tractors are travelling into the capital from across the country, including Exmoor, Shropshire, Somerset, Kent and the rest of the home counties for the “RIP British Farming” protest.

It comes after the government announced changes to agricultural inheritance tax in October’s Budget, which rally organisers Kent Fairness for Farmers and Save British Farming described as “toxic”.

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

Jeff Gibson, founder of Kent Fairness For Farmers, said: “In most cases, we are happy and immensely proud to provide food without any real financial gain, in the hope we can pass our farms, which we’ve worked so hard to protect and care for, to the next generation.

“The question I ask you today is, what future does farming have? Can we really expect the next generation to start their farming careers paying 10 years of tax burden because we died?

“My message to this government is I am happy to pay any tax to contribute to society like everyone else, but I can’t do that now with both arms tied behind my back.”

The vehicles will line up on Whitehall from 10am, there will be speeches at noon and a slow drive around central London from about 12.45pm.

Founder of Save British Farming, Liz Webster, added: “This anti-farming Stalinist offensive from the Labour Government presents a real danger to us all, we rely on food to survive.

“Losing the ability to feed ourselves means a total loss of control. We learned hard lessons in the last two world wars about the fact that food security is national security.

“(Prime Minister Sir) Keir Starmer must listen to farmers and step back from the brink and do what is right and best for our great country.”

Last month, dozens of Kent farmers joined an estimated 13,000 people gathered in Westminster to protest the government’s new ‘death’ tax, which they claim will destroy rural family businesses built up over generations.

They were joined in Westminster by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, TV personality Jeremy Clarkson and leading politicians Kemi Badenoch, Sir Ed Davey and Nigel Farage.

They also held their own go-slow demonstration in Dover, with pictures showing about 100 tractors travelling through the town last month.

The groups said a tractor protest took place last March to highlight the “existential threats” to the UK’s farming, but “none” of the issues have been solved, and the Budget proposal “spells the death knell” for the industry.

Kent’s farmers invaded a supermarket car park with around 20 vehicles as part of their stand against unfair treatment and cheap imports.