The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer left a visit to Milton Keynes early after a planned photo opportunity was interrupted by a farmer protest.

Starmer had been visiting the Eastbrook housing development in the east of the city yesterday morning (13/02) near to Newport Pagnell, where he had planned to announce the government’s intent to build up to a dozen new towns across the UK as part of their development and housing agendas.

However, around a dozen tractors and other agricultural vehicles turned up shortly after the Prime Minister arrived. The farming vehicle protest was part of continued protests by farming advocacy groups against planned changes to farm inheritance tax rules and subsidies, which have been ongoing since the plans were announced as part of the Budget last October.

Loud and sustained horns from the farming vehicles drowned out all attempts by Starmer to conduct media interviews with TV channels as originally planned, and eventually saw the opportunity abandoned earlier than intended, with Starmer leaving the site and returning to London.

Such as was the impromptu nature of Starmer’s swift exit than when he was photographed returning to 10 Downing Street later in the day, he was still wearing the hi-vis jacket and work boots as he had worn while at the site.

In a brief statement to Sky News, Thames Valley Police said, “Thames Valley Police facilitated a peaceful protest off the A509 and liaised with the protesters at the scene.

“Officers from the local policing team engaged with the protesters. No arrests were made or necessary. The protest has reached its conclusion and the group are now dispersing from the area.”