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# Are conspiracy groups trying to hijack farmers’ protests?
- URL: https://www.theferret.scot/are-conspiracy-groups-hijack-farmers-protests/
- Published: 2025-01-15T06:30:00.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-05T17:03:34.000Z
- Author: Ferret Journalists
- Tags: Politics and power, Climate and the Environment, Environment, #davesutton2gmail-com, Fact Checks, Politics, farmers, farmers protest, Featured, Inheritance Tax, James Melville, Jeremy Clarkson, Nigel Farage, No Farmers No Food, Together, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2025-10-15 12:08, #unmetered

After major protests across the UK at the end of last year, anger from farmers at tax changes shows no sign of abating.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has planned a nationwide [day of action](https://www.nfus.org.uk/news/news/nationwide-day-of-action-planned-for-25-january-as-fight-to-stopthefamilyfarmtax-goes-on?ref=theferret.scot) for 25 January. In Scotland this is set to include “coordinated tractor rallies” across the country.

While the protests have [focused](https://theconversation.com/protesting-farmers-are-having-to-fight-off-the-radical-right-conspiracy-theorists-and-climate-sceptics-245725?ref=theferret.scot) on tax and other pressures faced by the farming industry, there are [concerns](https://www.desmog.com/2024/11/21/climate-science-deniers-use-farmers-protests-to-attack-net-zero/?ref=theferret.scot) that some groups are attempting to capitalise on the farmers’ cause to peddle conspiracy theories and misinformation.

Ferret Fact Service explains.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2d/e2/2de2844d-80a7-4c7b-8025-6f1f39724aa6/content/images/2025/11/TheFerret_FactService_Logo_RGB-6.png)

### **Why are farmers protesting?**

Farmers are angry at [changes](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/what-are-the-changes-to-agricultural-property-relief?ref=theferret.scot) to inheritance tax announced by the Labour government in October. Thousands marched on London in November 2024 to protest the policy, which some view as the “[last straw](https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/11/19/uk-farmers-go-full-french-in-protest-over-government-tax-hike?ref=theferret.scot)” after a series of decisions by governments which have been unpopular with farmers.

From April 2026, farms will no longer be eligible for full relief from inheritance tax. Instead, full relief will only apply to the first £1m of assets passed down.

Anything over £1m will be charged inheritance tax at 20 per cent – half the usual inheritance tax – although some additional relief could be available, particularly for married couples.

Many farmers [claim](https://www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/agricultural-property-relief-what-you-need-to-know/?ref=theferret.scot) that their businesses do not generate enough money to pay inheritance tax bills due to a range of factors including [rising costs](https://ahdb.org.uk/news/farm-input-costs-have-risen-sharply-over-past-five-years?ref=theferret.scot) and [cuts](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/14/farm-income-england-2023-extreme-weather-subsidy-cuts?ref=theferret.scot) to subsidies.

The NFU [argues](https://www.nfus.org.uk/news/news/nfu-scotland-joins-mass-westminster-lobby-to-reverse-damaging-family-farming-tax?ref=theferret.scot) the only option for many farmers would be to sell their farms to afford tax bills which could, [it claims](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/17/farmers-in-england-and-wales-feel-betrayed-by-inheritance-tax-changes-says-nfu?ref=theferret.scot#:~:text=NFU%20members%20are%20due%20to,harming%20long%2Dterm%20food%20security.), impact the amount of food the UK produces.

The government has countered that most farms won’t pay inheritance tax – a claim the NFU [rejects](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/04/nfu-rejects-treasury-claim-that-72-of-farms-wont-pay-inheritance-tax?ref=theferret.scot) – and that money raised by the changes is needed to pay for public services.

The policy has also been [described](https://ifs.org.uk/articles/inheritance-tax-and-farms-0?ref=theferret.scot) by some experts as an attempt to stop wealthy people from buying up farmland to avoid paying inheritance tax.

### **‘No Farmers, No Food’**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2d/e2/2de2844d-80a7-4c7b-8025-6f1f39724aa6/content/images/2025/10/screenshot-2025-01-14-170255.png)

One group which has gained traction in farming debates in the last year is [No Farmers, No Food](https://twitter.com/NoFarmsNoFoods?ref=theferret.scot).

It has garnered over 130,000 followers on social media, more than the NFU itself, and its yellow logo is increasingly spotted both online and at protests. Scottish politicians have shared No Farmers, No Food posts on social media and the Tories’ agriculture spokesperson, Jamie Halcro Johnston, has [appeared](https://bsky.app/profile/jhalcrojohnston.bsky.social/post/3lbzdnycky22z?ref=theferret.scot) wearing one of its badges outside the Scottish Parliament.

No Farmers, No Food was founded by PR expert and GB News regular, James Melville.

Melville – who has over half a million [followers](https://twitter.com/JamesMelville?ref=theferret.scot) on X – says he grew up on a family farm in Fife and started the group to provide a “unified and non-partisan campaign” for farmers.

Yet on his personal accounts he has posted and shared misinformation including around conspiracy topics like [15 minute cities](https://x.com/JamesMelville/status/1696962596040057148?ref=theferret.scot), the [World Economic Forum](https://x.com/JamesMelville/status/1814544084016545821?ref=theferret.scot) (WEF) and the [‘Great Reset’](https://x.com/rustyrockets/status/1615030286965936131?ref=theferret.scot), as well as the [extent](https://fullfact.org/online/james-melville-covid-cancer-twitter/?ref=theferret.scot) of deaths from Covid-19.

[What are 15 minute cities and why are they controversial?Conservative MP Nick Fletcher used a speech in the House of Commons to promote a conspiracy theory about “15 minute cities”, which he called an “international socialist concept”. The concept of “15 minute cities” or “20 minute neighbourhoods” has been regularly cited by conspiracy theorists in recent months, but this![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2d/e2/2de2844d-80a7-4c7b-8025-6f1f39724aa6/content/images/icon/TheFerret_Favicon_White-1-1.png)The FerretFerret Journalists![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2d/e2/2de2844d-80a7-4c7b-8025-6f1f39724aa6/content/images/thumbnail/istock-585301598.jpg)](https://www.theferret.scot/15-minute-cities-why-are-they-controversial/)

Melville has [called](https://x.com/JamesMelville/status/1814637372606140480?ref=theferret.scot) net zero policies to limit climate change a “con” aimed at making money for corporations.

While No Farmers, No Food has largely focused on the impacts of the inheritance tax in recent months, its [mission statement](https://x.com/NoFarmsNoFoods/status/1759683455930016243?ref=theferret.scot) published in February 2024 took aim at net zero.

“The government’s obsession with net zero is having a devastating impact on British farming,” the group claimed in a statement that said one of its objectives was to “push back against unrealistic net zero policies”. The campaign has also [argued](https://x.com/NoFarmsNoFoods/status/1751905586407465383?ref=theferret.scot) that farming is being “sacrificed on the altar of net zero”.

Posts by the group on social media also attract comments from conspiracy theorists. One farmer has [described](https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/views/lives/65317/farming-life-how-conspiracists-have-co-opted-a-farming-movement?ref=theferret.scot) being added to a campaign WhatsApp chat after an invite by Melville. He claimed the group was “toxic” with members “fighting amongst each other” about Covid-19 vaccines and discussing “uprisings” against the WEF.

Despite outlining plans for one nearly a year ago, No Farmers, No Food has no website. A [limited company](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/15616096?ref=theferret.scot) which names Melville and two others as directors was set up in April last year but is yet to file any accounts.

Melville says the group receives no outside funding and has no political agenda. But it has been [accused](https://www.desmog.com/2024/02/08/revealed-the-climate-denial-network-behind-classic-astroturf-farmers-campaign/?ref=theferret.scot) of being an ‘astroturfing’ group – a type of campaign that appears to be grassroots but is actually a front for commercial or political interests.

No Farmers, No Food does have a [steering group](https://x.com/NoFarmsNoFoods/status/1870275916510732536?ref=theferret.scot) of farmers that help run the campaign, but there is no publicly available list of who is involved.

### **Together**

Melville also sits on the ‘cabinet’ of another contentious organisation, Together.

[Together](https://togetherdeclaration.org/?ref=theferret.scot) was launched in 2021 by businessman Alan D Miller initially to oppose a number of Covid-19 measures including [lockdowns](https://togetherdeclaration.org/?ref=theferret.scot) and [vaccinations for children](https://togetherdeclaration.org/campaigns/no-covid-jabs-for-children/?ref=theferret.scot). In January 2024, the group [criticised](https://x.com/Togetherdec/status/1752697812368986307?ref=theferret.scot) then prime minister Rishi Sunak for “mindlessly” claiming Covid-19 vaccines are safe.

The group is also [vocally](https://notonetzero.uk/?ref=theferret.scot) against net zero policies which it says are based on “wildly exaggerated” fears about the future.

Together’s opposition to net zero has seen it be heavily involved in a campaign against what it describes as “[crackpot](https://notonetzero.uk/?ref=theferret.scot)” low emissions zones and low traffic neighbourhoods, both policies aimed at reducing air pollution.

The group produced a [report](https://x.com/Togetherdec/status/1727382927892463930?ref=theferret.scot) in 2023 alleging that clean air policies such as low emissions zones were “not based on science and not democratic”.

Together [says](https://togetherdeclaration.org/donate/?ref=theferret.scot) it is run “carefully on very limited resources”. The most recent company [accounts](https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/document-api-images-live.ch.gov.uk/docs/D7YzLHWWBizx%5FOd%5FV8TTNlWnNz%5FXtmhWoGsgfhBty6k/application-pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAWRGBDBV3JNSAFCMF%2F20250114%2Feu-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4%5Frequest&X-Amz-Date=20250114T133015Z&X-Amz-Expires=60&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEBsaCWV1LXdlc3QtMiJGMEQCICRHkHHu1B04hVPBg840Mfj6fQi2HXfwuSmgC8Bg5a9HAiACFBiy5n8OJ0uy2hy%2FmdT1adRUw5NDhgj7Upwj%2BzGszCq7BQgUEAUaDDQ0OTIyOTAzMjgyMiIM4Gsy%2Fps1WVMJofluKpgFD91AZGtaNaKZaq1350YjBJDY1RMAcEwJWzb3aKG6TNXrZwygau1637WWFfs4uVFE1H35uAqNGegyNDNWRUUXe31Q7K54Hi8j6w8NA0E6Da5Mw%2BTJUyfnQqkv5If0mKWWh0Mb649TPrqr8kYayHgk851gIskRBNRJmPESlhkdJ%2Bfg9zMq27uh0Vv7tKaIiO6UuYvhufiNiJbv0QQNpODDMKgkFKbc8C9Z3HN2oBpiQ1hbZPD0L4c7SrFDtpd9aIYvR35Y0LaAd6ha9z20O1mqFC3poT6hTDdNDGyN9M54UzPxgH9Pv6yQYDsXbh5iacdLnjgpDemhO2XlV%2BnuNo52FM7sP2JLhM0FcHCrjUm%2FVks4a2Rl2saXrLOg6zW1cw6rVXtiXoR5RWQqmPpnVLOQjHo8y3Mzact6Y0OZ3MA%2Bf3%2BCHceKMnUbbACdwL%2BzR0v8NZV7OifQhZwm7YIgfbmFNsja14JjTN9Wec5kOtwuRkYog1VYTY6qXeGOeF1nusWBzwxduCnKVmjWKWD%2FuOCzzMOhvZrWmh4cOJl%2B3DvcSy3Oyeso5gJWERLLk1lEFdz0uUU2IMp3cenKL63mm5u6hgcls3DcuVQLdFConhbgB7wpL5UcZl5lmfKGdH6yUeAYQCdzZ3pAFqjC%2BrI6MG83eR0NbrdmLResbbelTIIX%2BKM9hD%2B1r1qKz9NkQufJ0DJZ0fdiRLQL%2BAtbG9AVQxQMLllBWCzEEtmS8u%2Fg10%2FwlYLtZvC0pHsqbuDLmsjlWRqSRYWR39H0yI1SBDlrLcjZ0BC01ZWnpTfEmCYstR8WKKGN%2FeCHFtiikiQq%2F4b8reP7LuiWrLsHYNr763H4NDZXSVazJkSaVmZt2MsFBtNSeDjKMPwI7aEp%2BDDi%2FZi8BjqyAfHlktZmyzgnI2bnx5959Rd0StQGBaVCNZfoUYHbCgViZDKTNu1i9yFV16Sl4ADt3EPZYtSPpLli1wr9U6%2BO8Smy2kDdkWfRj2H0kTNQObV0QfJuHC%2BtPBQF2kGOwZzo8FEQz8h40cEKN83lUiCX6y9rYQFRLlMP2ZSDXTyOYhVjg%2BJDJKuOZyK%2FA%2FmqCMXcbAdc15F794qjN78iNKEGQXifKrrsBkzwtVuvIhSvb3J03Lk%3D&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=inline%3Bfilename%3D%2214279629%5Faa%5F2024-05-03.pdf%22&X-Amz-Signature=0cede00f5d045b585132e14bb693a2be8ef13b25bb936165d2ae0f2964d5729f&ref=theferret.scot) show it had nearly £300,000 in the bank in August 2023.

Prior to the inheritance tax changes, Together only sporadically posted about farming but it has become a clear focus of its online activity in recent months.

Figures [including](https://togetherdeclaration.org/campaigns/with-our-farmers-together/?ref=theferret.scot) Jeremy Clarkson, Love Island stars and Nigel Farage were seen holding placards bearing the group’s logo at the London rally in November.

Clarkson himself has suggested that the inheritance tax changes are part of a “sinister plan” by Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves to “carpet bomb our farmland with new towns for immigrants and net zero windfarms”. “But before they can do that, they have to ethnically cleanse the countryside of farmers,” the former Top Gear host [wrote](https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/31603540/labour-government-destroy-farmers-cant-fight-back-reeves/?ref=theferret.scot) in The Sun.

Together has repeatedly shared posts from another online group called [Farmers to Action](https://twitter.com/FarmersToAction?ref=theferret.scot) which was launched in November 2024\. Alan D Miller has [appeared](https://twitter.com/FarmersToAction/status/1877751534483591634?ref=theferret.scot) in videos posted by Farmers to Action and The Ferret contacted Together to confirm whether the two groups are linked but received no response.

### **How have conspiracies impacted protests in Europe?**

The farmers’ protests in the UK follow closely on the heels of wider discontent [across Europe](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/02/why-are-farmers-protesting-across-the-eu-and-what-can-the-bloc-do-about-it?ref=theferret.scot) in recent years.

High profile [protests](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/dutch-farmers-emissions-global-right-wing-culture-war-rcna60269?ref=theferret.scot) in the Netherlands, for example, have focused on government measures to reduce nitrogen emissions from livestock.

Those protests were [seized](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/dutch-farmers-emissions-global-right-wing-culture-war-rcna60269?ref=theferret.scot) upon by conspiracy theorists including those who claimed the government measures were an effort to shut down Dutch farms to make space for asylum seekers.

This echoes the so-called ‘[great replacement theory](https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-great-replacement-theory-a-scholar-of-race-relations-explains-224835?ref=theferret.scot)’, a debunked far-right conspiracy theory that claims elites are trying to replace Europe’s white populations with non-white immigrants – particularly those from Muslim-majority countries.

Experts have [warned](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/04/climate-crisis-europe-farmers-vulnerable-far-right?ref=theferret.scot) that farmers are being targeted by conspiracy theorists and far-right narratives because they often feel hardest hit by efforts to limit climate change, particularly after the pandemic and energy crisis left many in financial difficulties.

A [study](https://www.eunews.it/en/2024/06/03/farmers-protests-exploited-to-spread-fake-news-about-eu-climate-policy-study-nails-european-far-right/?ref=theferret.scot) last year found that over 80 per cent of those using EU farmers’ protests to spread misinformation belonged to far-right groups.

*Main image: Tractors parked and road traffic at a standstill in the European Quarter in Brussels. Credit: European Commission (Christophe Licoppe)*