Labour MP left red-faced and admits he didn't have time to speak to farmers at protest: 'I heard them outside my office'

The MP defended his absence, stating he was "furiously at work in putting the final touches to the planning reforms" that would be announced in the House of Commons later that day.

His response drew immediate pushback, with Stephen Dixon challenging whether the government would actually listen to the farmers' concerns.

Hundreds of farmers converged on Westminster yesterday, bringing their tractors to the streets around Parliament in a show of protest.

The demonstration, dubbed "RIP British Farming," saw agricultural vehicles line up at Whitehall from 10am.

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Farmers travelled from across the country, including Exmoor, Shropshire, Somerset and the home counties to participate in the action.

The protest included speeches at noon, followed by a slow drive through central London beginning at approximately 12:45pm.

The tractors blocked streets near the Houses of Parliament as farmers hoped to convince the government to change course.

The MP explained: "We understand the concerns that have been expressed by farmers.

"We think the proposals we've put forward on inheritance tax are fair, they will only affect a very small minority of farmers across the country, and they are an essential part of trying to fix the foundations and put our public finances on a firm footing.

"Given the dire inheritance that we picked up when we came into office, including that £22billion black hole, we did have to make some difficult decisions.

"We think this is one of the right decisions we've made as part of a Budget, which is, as I've said, intended to fix those foundations, help the country move on, help us get into the business of national renewal, taking forward the various milestones we've outlined as part of our plan for change, including that very stretching, but we think achievable target of building 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament."

Last month, a massive demonstration drew around 13,000 people to Westminster in opposition to the Budget's impact on farming.

The protest attracted high-profile supporters including former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, whose programme "Clarkson's Farm" is one of Amazon's top UK shows.

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and politicians Kemi Badenoch, Sir Ed Davey, and Nigel Farage were also among those who joined the demonstration.