2026 will be year of change

Here, in his Christmas and New Year message, NFU Cymru president Aled Jones looks at some of the key issues over the past 12 months, whilst looking forward to what will be a seismic year for politics in Wales

- WITH ANDREW FORGRAVE

OVER the past 14 months farming families across Wales have been thrown into turmoil by the proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief and inheritance tax (IHT).

NFU Cymru has been tireless in its efforts to amend these proposals, with a consistent drumbeat of high-profile campaigning, culminating in the 'NO IHT' mosaic display message on the eve of this year's budget.

At the beginning of the year, I also had the responsibility of delivering our Stop the Family Farm Tax Petition to Downing Street.

Whilst I welcome the changes announced in November's budget, allowing for the spousal transfer of the IHT allowance, this change will only help a limited number of farmers and fails to mitigate the crippling effects of the changes on the elderly and the terminally ill.

It is for these farmers, the most vulnerable in our communities, that we must continue to fight and I urge the UK Government to do the right thing - protect the most vulnerable in society and remove the anti-forestalling clause from the Finance Bill as it makes its way through Parliament in the coming weeks.