Butler responds to Assembly motion on Farm Inheritance Tax
Ulster Unionist Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Spokesperson and AERA Committee Chair Robbie Butler MLA raised the importance of action, not words to tackle the Family Farm Tax during a debate on the topic in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The Lagan Valley MLA outlined the significant damage that this tax will cause to family farms in Northern Ireland, with a disproportionate number of farms to be impacted compared to elsewhere in the UK.
Mr Butler said: “DAERA’s own analysis shows that half of all farms accounting for a staggering 80% of farmed land could be affected. And let me be clear: that is almost certainly an underestimate.”
Butler went on to make clear to the Assembly that the power to address this ‘despicable’ tax lies in Westminster, but many local MPs have failed to vote on this issue.
He added: “When the Official Opposition brought this before Westminster, only six MPs recorded a vote. Six. That is an insult to every farming family in Northern Ireland. Let’s be honest about what happened: Sinn Fein, true to their policy of abstention, didn’t vote. The SDLP didn’t vote. And, revealingly, the Alliance Party also failed to show up. When push came to shove, they all had the chance to stand up for farming families and they failed.
“Family farmers need more than press releases and social media posts. They need every legislative and political tool at our disposal. And that means showing up physically, in the voting lobbies where it actually counts.”
Butler assured the Alliance Party, as they heckled a response, that he would hold those in Westminster with the power to speak up and vote for our family farmers to account.