Lib Dem Deputy Leader Urges U-Turn on Family Farms Tax During Powys Farm Visit
Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP has urged the UK Government to rethink its proposed Family Farms Tax ahead of this month’s UK Government Budget, during a visit to a Powys farm with local MP David Chadwick
At the meeting, Ms Cooper met with representatives from the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and local farmers to discuss the impact of the Labour Government’s proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) at a local family farm in the constituency.
The Liberal Democrats have warned that the family farms tax proposals are putting enormous strain on family and small farms already under pressure from rising costs, volatile markets, and years of poor trade deals agreed by the previous Conservative Government.
Earlier this week, Number 10 confirmed there would be no changes to the APR proposals, a move the Liberal Democrats described as a kick in the teeth for British farmers and the wider rural economy.
David Chadwick, MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, has been working closely with the farming community in his constituency and across Wales to highlight the impact these proposed tax changes would have on rural livelihoods.
He has also warned of the knock-on effects the policy could have across the wider rural economy, as farmers cut back on investment in machinery, infrastructure and livestock.
This would hit local suppliers and the food and drink sector — one of Wales’s largest industries, worth around £24 billion and employing over 200,000 people.
Daisy Cooper MP, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Treasury Spokesperson, said: “Farming is at the heart of life across rural Wales. I have spoken to countless farmers who simply want a fair chance to keep their businesses going and pass them on to the next generation. They deserve stability and long-term support from the Government, not short-sighted tax changes that threaten the very future of Welsh farming.
“The Liberal Democrats are leading the fight against this damaging policy, which would hit rural Wales at its core.
“This is yet another example of Labour repeating the mistakes of the Conservatives by taking rural communities for granted. We are standing up for farmers, for food security and for the future of our countryside.”
Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP David Chadwick added; “Family farms sustain our rural economy and protect the landscapes that define Mid Wales.
"Labour’s family farms tax will hit local farming families hardest, putting generational businesses at risk and undermining the long-term stability of rural Wales.
"This policy shows that this Government has failed to understand the realities of life in our farming communities. I will keep fighting to make sure that the voices of Welsh farmers are heard in Westminster.”
