The 13 best pictures as farmers stage mass tax protest in London and at Big Ben

Changes to inheritance tax paid by farmers are “catastrophic” for the agricultural sector, a farmer has said.

Thousands of farmers are descending on London to protest against planned changes to agricultural property relief.

They have already staged early demonstrations surrounding Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, with tractors driving past the iconic buildings with placards bearing the words “The Final Straw”.

Farmers are arriving at Church House Conference Centre where National Farmers’ Union (NFU) members are meeting on Tuesday morning.

Tom Bradshaw, the NFU president, said farmers would continue to push back until the government scrapped agricultural inheritance tax changes.

He told Sky News: “This will carry on. They cannot have a policy in place which has such disastrous human impacts and think we’re going to go quiet.

“We don’t know what’s next, but I know the membership have never been so united in trying to overturn something in the time that I’ve been farming.”

Asked if farmers would continue on this path until the government changes its mind, Mr Bradshaw said: “Absolutely.”

Tom Walton, a farmer from Buckinghamshire, said: “My motivation is to try and engage with the government to make them understand why the changes that they’ve made in the Budget are so catastrophic for the agricultural sector and the nation’s food security in general.

“This is likely to be the first of many engagements that we have with the government. If today is successful, then that’s terrific, and if not then we will continue to apply pressure.”

TV host Jeremy Clarkson and Scottish Tories leader Kemi Badenoch are among notable figures who have arrived to join the protests.

Here we bring you a collection of the best pictures from the mass protests being staged in London.