Farmers for Action (FFA) are urging for a UK general election to be held as soon as possible and calling upon rural communities "to vote in whichever party will immediately remove the inheritance tax".

FFA representatives from Northern Ireland travelled to Liverpool in support of the 'Trailer of Truth' protest, which took place at the Labour Party conference on Sunday, September 28.

The protest was part of a month-long campaign from the organisation against issues affecting UK farmers, such as the inheritance tax proposals, the rise in national insurance costs, and the decline in rural living standards.

FFA spokesperson, William Taylor attended the protest, noting that the "unpopularity of the current Labour Government could not be overstated."

In a statement released following the protest, FFA urged for a UK general election to be held as soon as possible and calling upon rural communities "to vote in whichever party will immediately remove the inheritance tax and take forward into legislation a UK-wide Farm Welfare Bill to ensure family farmers are paid a minimum of the true cost of production plus a margin inflation linked for their produce".

The crowd at the protest reportedly held a banner that read 'We can't afford to feed you anymore' as they marched towards the Labour Party conference, where they vocalised the campaign's message - with the banner displayed from a balcony for party delegates to view.

According to the FFA, it was noticed throughout the protest that members of parliament (MP) were coming and going along with delegates, but none interacted with the crowd.

The FFA stated there is a "complete disconnect between the UK government and the real world" and that it should take a lesson from Canada.

The farmers organisation said: "A government lesson from Canada must be learnt; a farmer in charge of agriculture, a doctor in charge of health, a pilot in charge of aviation, a teacher in charge of education, and the common-sense list goes on."

Taylor also outlined other trends affecting UK farmers, including the poor farm gate prices and the high average age for a farmer, which highlights a lack of succession.

He added: "The lack of prosperity is dragging us all down, the lack of ability to trade easily with the rest of Europe is dragging us down and particularly Northern Ireland trying to trade with Great Britain and vice versa is dragging us down.

"In short, since Brexit, it’s been downhill virtually all the way; therefore, the blame must firmly rest with the Conservatives and Labour."