Swann to present Family Farm Tax petition to Parliament on behalf of Northern Ireland farmers

Robin Swann MP, in collaboration with the Ulster Farmers’ Union, is to present a petition in Parliament this evening which calls on the government to stop their plans to introduce the family farm tax.

The petition demands:

“that the government should uphold the Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief on inheritance tax on farms; notes the petition by the Ulster Farmers’ Union on this topic with over 15,000 signatures; and further notes the disparity between the DEFRA and DAERA statistics on the number of Northern Ireland farms impacted by this change.

“The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government take immediate action to stop the removal of the Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief on inheritance tax on farms.”

This petition has been signed by the leadership of the UFU on behalf of the 15,000 signatories of their public petition.

Ahead of the introducing of the petition, Mr Swann said:

“The UFU petition gathered over 15,000 signatories, I’m very pleased to be able to present this one to Parliament on their behalf and I thank the Ulster Farmers’ Union for their continued to work to oppose this devastating Family Farm Tax, and for their assistance in getting to the point where we can present this petition in the Commons.

“In my constituency of South Antrim, we have 1,068 active farms and I have heard directly from so many of them. They have shared with me the hurt and worry that they now have the wake of the introduction of this tax. The future of their farms, and the livelihoods of their children and grandchildren are now in question.

“Half of our farms in Northern Ireland are to be impacted, and two-thirds of our dairy farms. The Westminster government still won’t acknowledge this and are refusing to accept the DAERA stats which back this up - but the impact in Northern Ireland will be like nowhere else in the UK.

“We have a rural economy here, our farms produce a significant amount of food for Great Britain, and our family farms are the pillars of our rural communities, and the custodians of our countryside.

“By presenting this petition we are putting this on the national, parliamentary record and we are making it clear that Northern Ireland’s farmers will not stand for this - it has far too much potential to destroy so many of our family farms.”