In the final push before Christmas recess this week, I stood up in the House of Commons to speak against (and then vote against) the Government’s damaging Family Farm Tax, set out in a clause of their Finance Bill. I intervened during the debate to highlight just one telling example from here in North Cornwall: a hardworking farmer in Lanivet who now faces a potential inheritance tax bill of around £500,000 with the Government’s new changes. This is just one of likely over 400+ family farms in our constituency that’ll be hit if these changes do go ahead.
Countless MPs from across the House have joined me in raising similar concerns, and I was proud to vote against the tax shortly after. I’ve raised this issue repeatedly in Parliament, met with Ministers, and hosted Cornish farmers at Westminster to make their voices heard. The next vote on the Bill comes in January, and I’ll keep up the fight to make sure this damaging policy is either scrapped entirely or replaced with something that doesn’t penalise genuine family-run farms (like the several NFU-endorsed alternative proposals). I sincerely hope Labour will finally see sense and start to protect our farmers, and food security, rather than targeting them with tax hikes.
I was selected for a Prime Minister’s Question (PMQ) this week, to press the Government on one of the issues that constituents contact me about most frequently and affect all of us: water pollution. From the Camelford Water Poisoning scandal in 1988 (which still, to this day, lacks proper justice or compensation) to the constant sewage dumping by South West Water that happens on a daily basis, I know people here in North Cornwall have had enough. I raised a case (which is one of many) of a constituent from Padstow, who has been hospitalised as a result of water pollution. I demanded action and accountability from the Prime Minister, who has now agreed that the Water Minister will meet with me and my constituents.
Closer to home this week, I was delighted to hold another ‘Brew with Ben’ event over in Wadebridge, this time at The Goods Shed. As always, it was great to meet with so many constituents, hear their concerns about our local area, and take up fresh casework on their behalf. These events are always such an important way for me to stay in touch with the community I serve here, so I’d like to give a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone who dropped in for the evening. If you missed it, don’t worry, as there’ll be plenty more in the New Year, so do keep an eye on my Facebook page for upcoming dates and venues!
I also appeared on LBC to highlight the pressure that the spiralling cost of living continues to place on people across our constituency. While the current Labour Government seems more focused on internal infighting than addressing day-to-day challenges, working families here are struggling with ever-rising prices. Labour’s priorities are clearly in desperate need of a real shake-up, before more families are pushed below the poverty line.
Finally, I had the pleasure of visiting the Royal Mail delivery office in Launceston last week. It’s a festive tradition for MPs, and it was a visit I thoroughly enjoyed. I was able to thank our local posties for their hard work, and even try my hand at sorting some post. They’re doing an extraordinary job under pressure, and I hope they know how grateful we all are.
That’s all for now – so I wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and I’ll see you in the New Year!
Ben Maguire MP
ben.maguire.mp@parliament.uk
