Reform UK's Deputy Leader Richard Tice has launched a scathing attack on Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch for her refusal to challenge Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Labour's inheritance tax raid on farmers, despite their London protest.
Speaking to GB News as hundreds of farmers protested outside Parliament, Tice branded Badenoch's focus on immigration "utterly inept".
"For the second week running, she completely messed up," Tice said.
He highlighted the presence of more than 500 tractors outside Westminster, criticising Badenoch's failure to address farmers' concerns about inheritance tax changes.
Richard Tice hit out at Badenoch for not challenging Labour's inheritance tax raid during PMQs
PA / GB News
"There's 500 plus tractors here, and the farm tax, the grief tax, it's a catastrophe.
"And the clueless, useless Kemi Badenoch and her team went off on their weakest thing, which is immigration," he said.
"This is the big thing, and the Tories are completely out of touch," Tice declared.
In their second large-scale protest against the inheritance tax raid, hundreds of farmers descended on Westminster with their tractors to protest the changes, in a demonstration dubbed "RIP British Farming".
Tractors lined Whitehall as protests against the inheritance tax changes continue
REUTERSThe protest, organised by Kent Fairness for Farmers and Save British Farming, saw vehicles line up at Whitehall from 10am.
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Speaking to farmers at the protest, one demonstrator told host Patrick Christys that the agricultural industry has been "stabbed in the back too much" by Labour, and they have "had enough" of the current Government.
Another young farmer, who joined his father at the protest, told GB News from their tractor that the raid on tax has "ruined his future" and chances of taking on the farm for the next generation.
He told Patrick: "It will have an impact on my future because it's just going to be too expensive to be able to take over the farm.
"It's just ruining our futures and everyone else below us."
Tice threw his support behind the farmers protesting in London
GB News
The Government has defended its position, with Environment Secretary Steve Reed affirming their "unwavering support" for farmers.
The Prime Minister's spokesman said the Government is "very clear we are not going to change course on this policy".
Last week, the Environment Department (Defra) announced a £343million injection into the rural economy, supporting over 31,000 farmers.
The funding is part of a larger £5billion two-year agricultural budget, which Reed described as "the largest ever directed at sustainable food production in our country's history".
