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FARMER FURY
Keir Starmer forced to DITCH visit after farmers staged noisy tractor protest with PM ‘whisked away’ in Land Rover
It comes after he backed Rachel Reeves as she came under pressure over inaccuracies in her CV
SIR KEIR Starmer has been forced to abandon a visit to promote his housing policies today after a protest by farmers.
The PM made an early exit from a housing site in Elverby, Buckinghamshire, on Thursday due to security concerns.
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Around 30 or 40 tractors from a group called Farmers To Action gathered near to the location.
Sir Keir postponed planned media interviews when the visit was cut short due to the concerns about the protest.
The tractors' musical horns could be heard blaring across the building site shortly after Sir Keir arrived.
Sir Keir was "whisked away" in his Range Rover due to the protest by farmers.
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As the car carrying the PM left the site, farmers could be heard shouting "just talk to us".
Many were seen holding anti-Starmer and pro-farming placards.
It is the latest in a series of protests staged by farmers in response to the budget's changes to inheritance tax.
Farmer Richard Miles travelled from Welford, Northamptonshire.
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He said: "We are not being listened to at all, that's why we feel we have to come and see him in person."
Sir Keir was later pictured arriving back in Downing Street still wearing building site gear.
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He had been hoping to tout his plans for dozens of new towns across England, each with 10,000 or more homes.
A Thames Valley Police spokesman 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."
It comes after Sir Keir backed Rachel Reeves as she came under pressure over inaccuracies in her CV and her use of expenses in a previous job.
He believes the Chancellor can be trusted and has no concerns about her conduct, Number 10 said.
Ms Reeves has updated her job history on professional networking site LinkedIn to reflect she worked at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) for longer than she had previously said.
The Chancellor's page had previously suggested her stint at the Bank of England lasted months longer than it now says.
Her use of expenses during her time working for HBOS was also subject to an internal investigation, according to the BBC.
But a spokesperson for Ms Reeves, who is MP for Leeds West and Pudsey, has claimed she was not aware of the probe.
A lawyer for the Chancellor has also said she was not subject to "allegations of wrongdoing or misconduct" during her career in retail banking.
Asked whether Ms Reeves could be trusted on Thursday, the PM's official spokesman said: "Yes, the Chancellor is working with the whole of Cabinet deliver the Plan for Change.
"Figures out this morning showed growth numbers coming in higher than expected... we're still not satisfied with this level of growth, and that's why we're determined to go further and faster in delivering the economic growth and improvement to living standards that the country needs."
Asked whether it would be right to say Sir Keir does not have any concerns about Ms Reeves' conduct, he said: "Correct."
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A spokesperson for the Chancellor said: "As Rachel said on Good Morning Britain a couple of weeks ago when she was asked, she worked as an economist at the Bank of England between 2000 and 2006, including over a year at the British Embassy in Washington working in the economics section, and then she worked at HBOS from 2006 to 2009.
"She's proud of the jobs she did and experience she gained before becoming a Member of Parliament."
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