Labour’s Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell has called for the Chancellor’s proposed changes to the Inheritance Tax to be reviewed, and for the relationship between Government and farming communities to be restored.

Appearing at a Hayscastle farm recently, MP Tufnell said: “We need the opportunity to look again at the threshold that has been proposed, and the possibility of introducing a transition period.

“I believe that a transition period will protect those elderly farmers who believed in good faith that they could continue to farm for as long as they wanted to.”

“I was disappointed to hear that the recent meeting between representatives from the farming sector and government didn’t go well. The relationship between our farmers and our government is crucial – and today, it is broken.

“We cannot achieve the growth our country so desperately needs without the trust, the support, or the confidence of our farmers. We cannot deliver our ambitious net-zero targets without that solid working relationship. We need to listen to our rural communities; I know that the reforms to IHT are the biggest anxiety for farmers right now; and so, we should listen to them.

“After over a decade of Tory decline, and neglect from successive conservative government’s I know that Labour can deliver for the people of Pembrokeshire and for the people of Great Britain, and we must do that with a strong working relationship with our farmers.”

Aled Davies, from NFU Cymru commented: “Henry has done the right thing by listening to his farming constituents and their representatives. He has always agreed to meet whenever we ask for a meeting.

“It is most unfortunate that every meeting we have had with him since the budget is to discuss the Inheritance Tax issue when we could have been discussing other opportunities for the industry to succeed rather than this policy which will almost certainly see the demise of many family farms.

“As NFU Cymru always does, we backed what we said by giving him facts and figures in our argument against this policy. I am hopeful that MPs like Henry will be able to get the Government to relook at this policy that has already created huge uncertainty and reduced investment in agriculture.

“Pembrokeshire really does rely on Agriculture for growth in the economy, so it is imperative that the government consults over this policy before any decision is made.”

Lottie Wilson, from Wilson family farm said: “We warmly welcomed Henry to the farm last week and were both impressed and greatly relieved to hear his stance on the IHT agricultural relief.

“Knowing that he’s met with Pembrokeshire NFU several times, as well as with several farmers both in London, and here in Pembrokeshire; it’s encouraging to know that he has taken our concerns on board, and we are extremely grateful that he has been willing to stand up against this purposeful damaging change to IHT, and we can only hope that other MPs are able to see sense and are brave enough to do the same.”