Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, and Clwyd West MS, Darren Millar, has called on the First Minister to apologise to farmers “whose children and grandchildren have been robbed of a future in the farming industry that they love” because of the UK Government’s changes to inheritance tax.
Speaking in today’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Darren warned that “these changes are going to cost lives and livelihoods in rural Wales” and told the First Minister “it's high time that your Welsh Labour Government stood up for our Welsh farmers, rather than standing up for the UK Labour Government that is seeking to milk them dry”.
Referring to a visit he made this week to a Welsh farmer impacted by the changes, he said:
“First Minister, yesterday I visited Nigel, a farmer in Monmouthshire. With nothing but determination, he started with a rented plot, worked every hour that God sent, and built a farm of his own. His wife, children, and later, his grandchildren joined in these endeavours, securing a future for the next generation - or so they thought. Because just as Nigel, who's now in his eighties, allowed himself to dream of stepping back and hanging up his wellies, and watching with quiet pride as his family carried out his life's work, and continued it, to feed this country, that dream was shattered by the UK Government's hammer-blow decision to tax more family farms by making changes to inheritance tax.
“So, First Minister, can I ask you: what do you have to say to Nigel, and thousands like him across Wales, who now see their children and grandchildren robbed of a future in the farming industry that they love?”
In her response, the First Minister said “inheritance tax is a reserved tax, which is overseen by the UK Government”.
Darren added:
“You were all very quick when there was a UK Conservative Government to leap up and scream about things that were non-devolved matters, yet, on this issue, you've been absolutely silent.
“It's high time, I think, that your Welsh Labour Government stood up for our Welsh farmers, rather than standing up for the UK Labour Government that is seeking to milk them dry.
“Now, on this side of the Chamber, we’re absolutely clear: no farmers, no food, no future. A few months ago, when you were asked about changes to inheritance tax on farms, you suggested that it’s only very wealthy people that would have to pay, but both you and I know that that is absolutely not the case. Farmers have had to borrow, beg and invest, often lending significant sums, millions of pounds, to keep their businesses running. And that’s not because they want to, they have no choice if they’re going to survive.”
Darren stressed that it was a pre-election promise by Labour not to change agricultural property relief and asked the First Minister to apologise to Welsh farmers for that broken promise, and what action she is going to take to fix this problem. In her response, the First Minister failed to apologise.
Darren added:
“I didn’t hear an apology for the broken promise. I don’t think you gave us any clarity on your Welsh Government’s position. And no matter what you try to say in order to spin this issue, the truth is this, these changes are going to cost lives and livelihoods in rural Wales.”
