In an extraordinary day of protests, farmers who drove their tractors into central London on the day of the Chancellor's Budget found themselves arrested and detained, in what organisers allege was a heavy-handed political operation to avoid government embarrassment.
The Arrests: From Honking Horns to 'Stolen' Tractors
Gary Crockford, a 46-year-old from Bramley in Hampshire, was one of those detained. He was handcuffed near Westminster for allegedly honking his tractor's horn while stationary. When he contested the charge, the officer shifted grounds, claiming the cable linking his tractor to its trailer was improperly secured. After Crockford disputed that too, the situation escalated into what he describes as a scene from a "sinister totalitarian drama." He was informed he was being held on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle, before later being 'dearrested' and released.
The experience was more severe for David Batstone, a 46-year-old wheat farmer from Somerset. After parking his tractor alongside others in Trafalgar Square, he was apprehended by police. Images of the father-of-three being led away went viral. He was transported to Islington Police Station, a high-security facility, where he was searched, photographed, fingerprinted, and interviewed. He was held in a cell and finally released on bail four hours later, with a condition banning him from driving an agricultural vehicle inside the M25 for three months.
A Protest Years in the Making
The farmers were in London to protest a policy announced in last autumn's Budget by Chancellor Rachel Reeves: a new inheritance tax on agriculture. The rural community fears this will force the break-up of countless small, family-run farms that have been passed down through generations. Their demonstrations, known for being peaceful and orderly, have been a feature since the policy's announcement.
For this latest protest, organisers had followed due process, filing their plans with the Metropolitan Police weeks in advance and receiving acknowledgements. The plan was for a short, symbolic gathering in Whitehall before returning home. However, in a sudden move on Tuesday afternoon, the police revoked their approval, issuing a statement banning "tractors or other agricultural vehicles" from the protest area.
Chaos, Confusion, and Claims of Double Standards
Undeterred, many farmers like David Batstone set off for London anyway. Batstone left his Somerset farm at midnight, meeting others on the A303 before a slow convoy towards the capital. After navigating police diversions away from Westminster, he parked in Trafalgar Square. He claims he was singled out by an officer and arrested as he reached for his ignition key.
The episode took a farcical turn after his release. Desperate to locate his tractor—his livelihood—he received a call from a different police unit. They were struggling to move his vehicle from Shaftesbury Avenue and asked for his assistance. He paid £16 for a taxi to go and help them, with the cab driver recognising him from news reports.
Protest co-organiser Olly Harrison is convinced the police action was politically motivated. "The police were under orders not to embarrass Rachel Reeves on her big day," he states. Shadow Farming Minister Victoria Atkins echoed sentiments of a two-tier system, remarking, "If only they'd called themselves 'Farmers for Gaza', they'd have been fine," highlighting perceived disparities in policing tolerance.
Both Gary Crockford and David Batstone say they have no regrets. Batstone protests to secure his farm's future for his three sons, while Crockford wants to preserve his smallholding for his eight-year-old daughter. Their message to the government is clear: as long as urban policymakers treat farming as a tax issue rather than a cradle-to-grave vocation, the tractors will return.