There will be no more public demonstrations against upcoming changes to inheritance tax rules, the president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has indicated.

“All four UK unions are still actively working on this. We have moved past the point of public demonstrations, but we are engaging at every opportunity with Labour MPs,” said William Irvine.

The UFU president said senior Labour politician Hilary Benn was pressed about the inheritance tax issue during a meeting at Balmoral Show last week.

“He did not give us much hope. The Labour government are digging in,” Irvine told MLAs on Stormont’s agriculture committee.

He said a key problem is that while some Labour MPs are opposed to the new £1m limit for agricultural and business property relief for inheritance tax, not enough MPs are willing to rebel.

“Unfortunately, this Labour government has a hundred plus majority and so a handful that speak out against it will not change it for us,” he said.

In private meetings with farmer representatives, senior Labour figures have been sympathetic to the concerns raised about the tax changes which are due to take effect from April 2026.

However, farmer representatives have had no success in lobbying Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who announced the policy in last year’s Autumn Budget.

“We cannot get that message through to number 11 Downing Street and the Chancellor. It’s more of an ideology position than a facts and figures position,” Irvine said.

The UFU president said the “game is not over yet” with the campaign to change the policy, although he admitted “the signs are not looking good for a significant turnaround”.

“The next Autumn Budget would be a possible time for a slight change. I don’t think anybody thinks at this stage that it is going to be reversed, but there is room yet to tweak it,” he said.