British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had to be airlifted to safety after being trapped by over 40 tractors and protesting farmers.
Starmer had arrived in the city this morning to unveil his government’s plan to build 100 new towns to generate thousands of homes across the UK.
However, he was met with an unexpected blockade of tractors and dozens of farmers, angry over policies they say are harming rural communities.
Among their key concerns are foreign agricultural imports and new inheritance tax rules – which mean farmers must wait seven years before they can gift their land to the next generation without facing tax implications.
They blocked the road to prevent Mr Starmer from leaving with his security team in his Range Rover, while the sounds of tractor horns drowned out his TV interviews – which were eventually cancelled.
One local farmer said: “Basically we’ve blocked him in, and he can’t get out. We’re expecting a helicopter to come and rescue him pretty soon.”
Another protester added:
“A couple of my neighbouring farmers are in their eighties – how can they be expected to live for another seven years? It is just unfair.”
“We are already suffering so much from the amount of grain and meat and other products that the government allows to be imported from other countries. It has affected us badly,” he added.
“People often don’t realise that this produce can be full of pesticides and chemicals that are banned in the UK but still used abroad. The quality is often nowhere near as good either.”
Starmer was eventually airlifted to safety, but the protest has intensified debates over agricultural policies and rural livelihoods.
