NFU Cymru President pens letter to the PM urging for changes to inheritance tax proposals

20 July 2025

Aled Jones signing the letter to the Prime Minister

NFU Cymru President Aled Jones has written to the Prime Minister urging for changes to the UK Government inheritance tax proposals causing ‘distress and torment’ to the nation’s farmers.

The prospect of changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) were not a pressing concern for the vast majority of visitors to the Royal Welsh Show in 2024. But 12 months on and following UK Government’s autumn budget announcement – which reneged on a pre-General Election Labour Party commitment not to alter APR – thousands of farming families arriving at the four-day Llanelwedd showpiece this year are facing ‘huge anxiety’, with the elderly placed in a particularly ‘difficult and invidious position’.

After being contacted by hundreds of Welsh farming families impacted by the so-called Family Farm Tax, NFU Cymru President Aled has been ‘compelled’ to write to Sir Keir Starmer.

The sending of Mr Jones’ letter to 10 Downing Street comes on the eve of ‘Legislation Day’, or ‘L-Day’ on Monday 21 July when the UK Government publishes draft tax clauses to be included in the next Finance Bill. It is anticipated that the draft APR legislation could be among the tax measures published by the UK Government.

On what could now be a significant legislative landmark for the inheritance tax reforms – and with time running out ahead of the APR changes coming into effect from April 2026 - NFU Cymru President Aled Jones has called upon the Prime Minister to mitigate against the devastating human impacts of his government’s policy.

The letter states:

I am concerned that the number of farm businesses which stand to be impacted by this policy change will be far greater than Treasury predictions. What pains me more than anything is the sheer number of elderly farmers who having worked hard all their lives, now find themselves tormented with the continual worry that their passing will create an unmanageable financial burden for their loved ones.

Across our nation, there are countless examples of farmers in their twilight years having to deal with complex tax and legal considerations, at a time in life when even minor decisions can be a source of considerable apprehension. For many of these people, either due to age or health issues, there is no recourse to insurance cover to meet tax liabilities.

I know that no government would want to place anyone in the difficult and invidious position that many elderly farmers now find themselves in. My view remains that an opportunity still exists for your government to mitigate very many of the human impacts of these policy proposals, whilst meeting the Government’s aim of raising revenue. 

Pledge your support

As part of the NFU and NFU Cymru’s ongoing #StopTheFamilyFarmTax campaign, the unions are encouraging visitors to the Royal Welsh Showground to pledge their support by scanning the QR codes posted on the NFU Cymru building and the NFU Cymru/NFU Mutual marquee. The unions are also making support available to farmers to help them write a letter to their local MP outlining the impact of the proposals on their business.

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