today at one — thousands of farmers converge on parliament to protest against the government's changes to rules on inheritance tax. the farmers say the change is a betrayal. the tax is on farm estates worth more than £1 million. it’s the tax is on farm estates worth more than £1 million. it's almost as if slowl , more than £1 million. it's almost as if slowly. we _ more than £1 million. it's almost as if slowly, we are _ more than £1 million. it's almost as if slowly, we are gathering - more than £1 million. it's almost as if slowly, we are gathering after- if slowly, we are gathering after the shock of the recent budget and are stealing ourselves to make an awful lot of noise. also on the programme this lunchtime... russia claims ukraine has fired us supplied long—range missiles into the country for the first time. the woman at the centre of the mass rape trial in france gives her closing statement to the court and says it is time for macho society to change

its attitudes. a blanket of snow covers parts of the uk, bringing school closures and disruption to roads and railways. 0k, roads and railways. ok, you lovely bunch. i have some news. �* ok, you lovely bunch. i have some news. ~ ., ok, you lovely bunch. i have some news. �* ., ., ok, you lovely bunch. i have some news. ~ ., ., ., , ok, you lovely bunch. i have some news. ~ ., ., ., ., ok, you lovely bunch. i have some news. ., ., ., ., , news. and no more early alarm calls for zoe ball. — news. and no more early alarm calls for zoe ball, who _ news. and no more early alarm calls for zoe ball, who announces - news. and no more early alarm calls for zoe ball, who announces she - news. and no more early alarm calls for zoe ball, who announces she is l for zoe ball, who announces she is stepping down from the radio 2 breakfast show after six years. on sportsday later in the hour on bbc news, we will have the latest from malaga, where great britain are looking to reach the final of the billie jean looking to reach the final of the billiejean king cup for the first time in a0 years. good afternoon. thousands of farmers from across the country have converged on parliament to protest against government changes to inheritance tax on farm estates worth more than a million. the farmers say the plans

amount to a betrayal, but ministers insist they will close a tax loophole and only affect a small minority of farms. alison freeman reports. the level of concern shown in their numbers. thousands of farmers headed to london this morning to protest about what they are calling a betrayal over planned changes to inheritance tax was that having previously been exempt, from april 2026, firms which are worth more than £1 million will have to pay 20%, half of the usual a0%, something farmers say will make theirfamilies something farmers say will make their families leave the industry, impacting on the nation's food production. impacting on the nation's food production-— impacting on the nation's food roduction. , , , ~ production. the industry is unlike any other- _ production. the industry is unlike any other. agriculture _ production. the industry is unlike any other. agriculture cannot - production. the industry is unlike any other. agriculture cannot put| any other. agriculture cannot put the money aside to afford these taxes. the corporate giants that are buying land and creating this tax evasion problem, they can afford to do this. they can afford to put

money aside. it'sjust do this. they can afford to put money aside. it's just going to widen the tax gap between us and them. we will be selling up to pay them. we will be selling up to pay the tax, they will be buying it. in our family, we produce 9 million loaves _ our family, we produce 9 million loaves of— our family, we produce 9 million loaves of bread and 190,000 kilos of beef _ loaves of bread and 190,000 kilos of beef if_ loaves of bread and 190,000 kilos of beef if you _ loaves of bread and 190,000 kilos of beef. if you quantify that across the national case, just a few farms outside. _ the national case, just a few farms outside, that is an enormous amount of food _ outside, that is an enormous amount of food to lose from our supply chain — of food to lose from our supply chain. ,., , of food to lose from our supply chain. , .,, ., ., ., , ., chain. isabel was among farmers who travelled from _ chain. isabel was among farmers who travelled from buckinghamshire - chain. isabel was among farmers who travelled from buckinghamshire this i travelled from buckinghamshire this morning to join the protesters and their lobby headed up by the national farmers' union calling on the government to change their minds on the plan. this the government to change their minds on the lan. , ., , �* on the plan. this doesn't end until the government _ on the plan. this doesn't end until the government change _ on the plan. this doesn't end until the government change course. i on the plan. this doesn't end until i the government change course. the policy they have put in place is ill thought through, it is based on poor evidence, a lack of understanding of the farming industry. it affects those family farms that produce this country's food. i don't believe anybody wants to rip the rug out from what the government have done with this policy. the sooner they wake up to the realities of the changes they

have made, the sooner we can move forward and look at how we deliver forward and look at how we deliver for this country?— forward and look at how we deliver for this country? food security. but the government _ for this country? food security. but the government argues _ for this country? food security. but the government argues the - for this country? food security. but the government argues the impact| for this country? food security. but l the government argues the impact on farmers will be limited, as it tries to fill the gap in funding left by the previous administration. we have to ian the previous administration. we have to [an that the previous administration. we have to plan that £22 _ the previous administration. we have to plan that £22 billion _ the previous administration. we have to plan that £22 billion black - the previous administration. we have to plan that £22 billion black hole - to plan that £22 billion black hole in our— to plan that £22 billion black hole in our public finances, otherwise we can't _ in our public finances, otherwise we can't fix _ in our public finances, otherwise we can't fix our — in our public finances, otherwise we can't fix our public services like the broken _ can't fix our public services like the broken national health service. so it's_ the broken national health service. so it's only— the broken national health service. so it's only right that we have had to ask_ so it's only right that we have had to ask the — so it's only right that we have had to ask the wealthiest landowners and the biggest farm owners to pay their fair share _ the biggest farm owners to pay their fairshare. but the biggest farm owners to pay their fair share. but i would emphasise, only around — fair share. but i would emphasise, only around 500 farms will be affected~ _ only around 500 farms will be affected. ., :: :: ., , , affected. the figure of 500 farms is dis - uted affected. the figure of 500 farms is disuted b affected. the figure of 500 farms is disputed by those _ affected. the figure of 500 farms is disputed by those in _ affected. the figure of 500 farms is disputed by those in the _ affected. the figure of 500 farms is disputed by those in the industry, l disputed by those in the industry, who say it's troubling many more farming families.— farming families. there are conversations _ farming families. there are conversations in _ farming families. there are conversations in farm - farming families. there are l conversations in farm kitchen farming families. there are - conversations in farm kitchen is happening up and down the country where olderfarmers are happening up and down the country where older farmers are asking their families whether if they continue to leave past march 2026 when this change is made, whether they will be a burden to their family. the farmers say _ a burden to their family. the farmers say they _ a burden to their family. the farmers say they hope they are listened to, with some warning that

they could take direct action if the plans go ahead. alison freeman, bbc news. in a moment we will speak to our political correspondent harry farley, who is in westminster, but first let's join our rural affairs correspondentjenny kumah, who is following developments from central london. jenny, what's the latest there this afternoon? some 10,000 farmers have gathered here today and in the last few moments, i have started to march through the streets in westminster was that when you speak to them, there is a range of emotion. there is anger, sadness, disappointment and frustration, but today they have come together to show their opposition. earlier, in a building not farfrom here, the nfu held a separate event, a mass lobby event where some 1800 farmers came. the nfu president gave an impassioned speech. he spoke of this policy being a stab in the back, a kick in the teeth. he said it was

unacceptable and wrong. the question is what happens next. farmers have come here to demonstrate on the streets. they are meeting their mps, but the government is showing no sign of backing down.— but the government is showing no sign of backing down. jenny, thank ou. our political correspondent harry farleyjoins us now from westminster. harry, we can see a major campaign on this by farmers. how big a headacheisit on this by farmers. how big a headache is it for the government? it is a headache in that for the first time, labour won dozens of rural seats at the general election, many of them voting for the first time. the current environment secretary steve reed, before the general election in the summer, promised that the party would not make changes to the agricultural property relief which went ahead in the budget. that is why the national farmers' union are accusing the government of betrayal. onjenny�*s point as to whether there are going to be changes, the prime minister sir keir starmer, at the meeting of

the g20 in south america, has been speaking. he has said he understands the concerns that have been raised. he says he is confident that the majority of farms will be unaffected and, as directly whether there would be government changes to this policy, he said no.— be government changes to this policy, he said no. harry farley reporting- _ britain's retailers are warning that jobs will be lost, prices will rise and shops will close, because of new costs that are being imposed on them — including the rise in employers' national insurance announced in the budget. in a letter to the chancellor, the british retail consortium say that, taken together, new government measures will cost them more than £7 billion. our business correspondent theo leggett reports. retailers across the country are gearing up for the christmas period, their busiest time of the year. but seasonal cheer is in short supply and the economic winds are feeling wintry. in this letter to the government, the british retail consortium claims

that new costs being imposed on the industry next year will make job losses inevitable, and higher prices a certainty. it's been signed by nearly 80 business leaders, including the bosses of tesco, superdry, the perfume shop and wickes. and they say it reflects the strength of feeling across the sector. i think the response is one of urgency, really, to rethink this because people are going to make decisions on the retailers' side that i think the government doesn't want us to make. i don't think they want us to take some of the actions, particularly around our employees, that this is going to force us to do. the brc claims retailers are facing a £7 billion hit next year as tax increases announced in the budget and other changes take effect. it says higher national insurance bills for employers will cost its members more than £2.3 billion.

an increase in the national living wage will add another 2.75 billion, and higher taxes on non—recyclable plastic packaging will cost a further two billion. the brc says retailers simply can't cope with cost increases of this size, because they are being brought in too quickly. it says more time is needed. on top of that, it claims that reforms to business rates, which are meant to make life on the high street easier, aren't coming in quickly enough and don't go far enough. so we've got a whole swathe of additional costs coming in, so there's a lot of concern on the impact forjobs, for prices and for consequences in high streets up and down the country. that view was supported by the governor of the bank of england, speaking to mps this morning. yes, i saw the brc's letter and i think they are right to say... i think there is a risk here that the reduction in employment could be more, yes. i think that's a risk. the government has defended

the changes brought in at the budget as necessary to pay for improvements to public services and increased funding for the nhs. but retailers are far from happy. they think without changes, consumers and their own employees are going to pay a heavy price. theo leggett, bbc news. it's been a first taste of winter for many parts of the country, with snow bringing school closures, train cancellations and delays on the roads, making it a difficult morning for many commuters. temperatures fell as low as minus 7.8 degrees celsius in the scottish highlands.steve knibbs reports. there is a natural beauty to the snowfall, but the north of scotland recorded some of the coldest winter temperatures for quarter of a century. parts of aberdeenshire reached a low of minus 11.2 celsius. a bus there ended up in a ditch due to the icy conditions, but no one

was injured. many parts of wales, the north of england and the midlands also woke up to snow and with it, the inevitable disruption. almost 200 schools have been closed. where they stayed open, there were some fun on the way to lessons. here in wales, it was feeding time. the thick snow meant no chance of getting to the grass today. ladle thick snow meant no chance of getting to the grass today. we have not some getting to the grass today. we have got some ryland. — getting to the grass today. we have got some ryland, six _ getting to the grass today. we have got some ryland, six of— getting to the grass today. we have got some ryland, six of those - getting to the grass today. we have got some ryland, six of those and l got some ryland, six of those and iran. we have three black mountain sheep and three pygmy goats. i am pretty hardy. sheep and three pygmy goats. i am pretty hardy-— pretty hardy. nice, big face to keep them warm- _ pretty hardy. nice, big face to keep them mm in _ pretty hardy. nice, big face to keep them warm. in london, _ pretty hardy. nice, big face to keep them warm. in london, there - pretty hardy. nice, big face to keep them warm. in london, there was i them warm. in london, there was heavy snow, but it wasn't quite cold enough to settle. the met office has issued three new yellow warning is for wales, issued three new yellow warning is forwales, northern issued three new yellow warning is for wales, northern ireland and scotland and parts of east and north—east england, with the potential for ten centimetres of snow expected on higher ground into tomorrow. and whilst disruption has been pretty light so far compared to

other years, for some, the snowjust brings a new adventure. steve knibbs, bbc news. ican we i can we can go life to our reporter ollie constable, who is in the peak district in derbyshire, where residents woke up to plenty of snow this morning. what is the there now? this is the peak district in between sheffield and derbyshire, right on the border here, where we were told this would be one of the most badly affected areas, with up to 20 centimetres of snow falling. it hasn't quite materialised to be as extreme as that. you can see is a beautiful picture. even on the lower parts of the ground, it was only ten centimetres of snow that had fallen. it made travel difficult for people in the early hours but throughout today, here in the higher areas of the county, we have seen lots of

gritters and snow ploughs to keep people on the move. the disruption is not as bad as we were expecting. i was speaking to a team in leeds yesterday you were saying they were out from the early hours to keep out from the early