CSM STAFFER

Today at the Welsh Labour Conference in in Llandudno, Conwy, the hundreds of gathered farmers, protesting against the Labour Government’s recent and dangerous inheritance tax rule changes for farms, were expecting Keir Starmer to come and meet them so they could get their points across. Starmer did not have the guts. He left without meeting them. This was in stark contrast to Rishi Sunak back in February at the Welsh Conservative Conference who went out of his way to meet farmers and listen to their growing number of problems before the inheritance tax rule change hammer-blow had been imagined.

So, here is the Welsh farmers’ message to Starmer for all to read:

Dear Prime Minister,

Croeso I Gymru,

Today you can see the depth of feeling and concerns that you are creating as the PM of this country towards the rural areas and farming community.

The outcome of your budget highlights the government’s incapacity to look at the position as a whole rather than a tick box exercise to fulfill your selfless ambition.

The inheritance tax debacle highlights this case,this new tax represents a considerable challenge not only for farmers but also the broader agricultural sector. The £1 million threshold is alarmingly low and many farmers will face impossible decisions to sell portions of their land to cover these costs.,this will affect the smaller family farm the most.

in Wales we are facing the draconian impact of NVZ and TB led by your Labour govt. Added to this is the impending SFS. The approach to this by the minister does not inspire confidence due to the fact that the decision and work is being done behind closed doors with round table discussions with stakeholders prevented from sharing with their members hardly democratic. This is on the back of over three thousand farmers travelling to Cardiff to demonstrate in March of this year.

Prime Minister,

In WW2 farmers were not part of conscription as they were considered as the backbone of the country keeping the population fed. This has continued to this day. However, your intentions are suffocating the food producers, destroying the rural communities and creating apathy across the nation.

This cumulative approach has created despair in the countryside to the most vulnerable in the rural community, the reality is that as food supplies decrease it will become more expensive and the poorest in our whole society will suffer the most.

On Sunday due to your lack of empathy and understanding we are having to go on strike to highlight to the nation the impact of your intentions. This is a last resort, many cannot afford this but there is growing anger in the countryside. As we see it the one thing that Labour has achieved is to bring farmers, business community and rural areas together.

We ask that you revisit the whole approach to farming and rural communities as a matter of urgency.

Enough is Enough North Wales 

Fighting for British Farmers