I am writing to bring to your notice the unacceptable situation with the recent changes to inheritance tax brought in by the Labour government and its impact on generational family farms.

As a party, we welcome attempts to reform the tax system in order make it fairer to all, as we do not believe corporate investors and wealthy tax dodgers should be allowed to take over much needed farmland in order to reduce their tax liabilities.

However the changes that have been brought in, in their current form, penalise small generational family farms, potentially putting many families in the position of having to sell land that they have farmed for years, and in many cases, centuries.

As a result of this, Mebyon Kernow passed a motion during our party conference on Saturday, November 23, calling upon the Labour Government to urgently reconsider these changes, and make adjustments to protect those families who own farmland, both old and new, who provide the irreplaceable service of food production to both Cornwall, and the wider UK.

This has been eloquently summed up by councillor Michael Bunney, Cornwall Cllr for St Mewan, St Ewe and Grampound, who brought the motion to Party Conference.

“We need to support our Cornish family farms as we depend on them for food. Our family farms are at the heart of our Cornish communities and the families have a unique connection to the land. We call on the government to reverse and rethink the changes to inheritance tax” - Cllr Michael Bunny.

Duncan Paul, a member of Mebyon Kernow, and a candidate for the party in Penzance

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