Welsh Conservative Samuel Kurtz has taken Pembrokeshire’s Labour MP to task following the Chancellor’s announcement that the Labour Government will slash Agricultural Property Relief (APR)—a move the local MP had promised would not happen.
During the recent General Election, the Labour candidate publicly assured farmers at a husting event hosted by NFU Cymru, the Farmers’ Union of Wales, and Pembrokeshire Young Farmers’ Club, that APR would remain unchanged under a Labour Government. Similarly, Labour’s DEFRA Secretary told the Financial Times in November 2023, “we have no intention of changing APR,” reinforcing the pledge to farmers across the UK.
However, Wednesday’s Budget revealed a reversal on this promise, with the Chancellor announcing cuts to APR, potentially jeopardising thousands of family farms by increasing the Inheritance Tax burden. APR provides critical relief on the transfer of agricultural property, allowing farming families to pass their established food producing business down to future generations.
Samuel Kurtz commented:
“Labour’s Budget was a string of broken promises, but none will be as harmful to hardworking farmers as their cut to Agricultural Property Relief.
“For the Labour MP to assure farmers at the husting that no changes would be made to APR—and then have Labour go back on that—shows that the party will say whatever it takes to win votes.
“Trust in politicians is at an all-time low, and this U-turns only helps feed that mistrust. Decisions like this threaten the future of family farms and undermine the promises made to the communities Labour claims to represent.”
