Farmers in Peterborough have launched a surprise blockade of three major supermarket distribution centres.
From midnight on Sunday night, loaded lorries have been barred from entering or leaving – but empty vehicles and supermarket staff arriving for work have been allowed through.
Tractors have been seen sporting slogans like “raised right, raised British” and “Labour out” – and have issued a series of demands.
Protesting farm workers are demanding higher farmgate milk prices and are accusing retailers of squeezing producers while prices rise for consumers.
Ed Pritchard, the farmer behind the demonstration, told GB News on Monday the new “direct action” came from a place of desperation.
“The industry is in absolute turmoil,” he said. “We can’t carry on for much longer as we are.
“We really do need to see a complete U-turn in the inheritance tax,” Mr Pritchard continued.
“We need to see better farmgate prices being paid to us by the by supermarkets and suchlike, and and we need to see a tariff imposed on imported produce into this country.”
Just days ago, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, told the Oxford Farming Conference that Labour was “serious about partnership with your sector”.
Ms Reynolds branded them “the heart of our national life for what you produce”.
She then said Labour’s partial U-turn on inheritance tax – which increased the tax threshold on inherited farms from £1million to £2.5million, was a sign ministers had listened to Britain’s agriculture sector.