Farmers to Action at Swindon Borough Council
Tim Johnson says it will affect private households and restaurants
Last updated 26th Mar 2025
A Wiltshire farmer is warning of the effects which the government’s planned Inheritance Tax will have on members of the public.
Tim Johnson is one of the local farmers who gathered in front of Swindon Borough Council yesterday.
It was part of a national day of action which saw farmers across the country take their tractors to Labour-run councils to raise awareness for their protest against the government’s plans.
Tim Johnson, who owns a farm between Westbury and Devizes, said: “This is happening all around the world. Then you'll see the price of food go up and up across the UK. We've already seen since December that the price of a finished beef animal for us, the farmers, has gone up from about £1500 to probably £2500 to £3000 an animal. And that will affect your dinner plate”.
Aside from private households, the rise in food prices will also affect the hospitality industry.
With farmers having to pay a more for their animals, they are then forced to sell their meat for a higher price which leads to restaurants and pubs, which rely on being supplied by those farmers, also having to raise their prices for customers.
“I spoke to a number of pubs and they were talking about having to put prices up by 8%. And obviously my beef has gone up by whatever percent and you can't buy it in from abroad. It's not there, not to the same standard. And a similar thing is happening with lamb. So, you're gonna find the countryside will change and then because of that, these pubs are shutting at a dramatic rate”, explained Tim.
“We are gonna have, across the UK, thousands more pubs and restaurants shut and struggle which will impact everyone's mental health. Because when people were stressed about something, they used to pop to a restaurant or a pub and sit and have a laugh. They won't be able to afford that and money won't go that far with the price increases.
“Pubs will be shut and there will be nowhere to talk and they're gonna suffer immense mental stress. And I don't know how we're gonna cope with that as a nation”.
Even though wages will go up by 5% from April, Tim thinks the situation for pubs and restaurants will “dramatically change” over the summer.
“I think you'll see it dramatically change in April. I think you'll see there's a number of places holding on at the moment, just trying to keep going. It is the best time of the year to be a restaurant in spring and summer and if it is not going very well, by the time they get to September, they will be gone”.
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