News
Pembrokeshire MP denies leaking tax changes before Budget
LOCAL MP Henry Tufnell has denied claims that he provided his father with inside information regarding upcoming changes to Inheritance Tax and Agricultural Property Relief, which were announced in the autumn Budget.
The controversy arose after reports that Mr Tufnell’s father placed part of the family’s multi-million-pound agricultural estate in a trust weeks before Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the tax changes.
Speaking to The Times last weekend, Mr Tufnell revealed that part of his family’s Cotswold estate had been placed in a trust, with his brother Albermarle as the beneficiary. While entirely legal, the move could save the estate £4m in Inheritance Tax if Mr Tufnell’s father lives another seven years.
The Times reported that Henry Tufnell’s father’s legal tax arrangements could significantly reduce the family’s future tax burden. However, the Mid & South Pembrokeshire MP insists he had no inside knowledge of the Chancellor’s plans.
‘Absurd’ to suggest insider knowledge
In the Times interview, Mr Tufnell defended his actions, stating: “It’s just absurd to suggest that I had concrete knowledge of what was going to be in the Budget as a backbench MP.”
The interview continues: “He admits, though, that he had heard rumours of a change in the offing and did discuss it with his father.
“My dad was the president of the Country Landowners Association, he sits on the board of Natural England, he’s all over what goes on in the industry.
“So when it’s being briefed out that there might be changes, of course I talked to him.”
Taking those words at face value, Mr Tufnell describes a situation in which he heard speculation about a change in Inheritance Tax and Agricultural Property Relief and mentioned it to his father. Mr Tufnell states that his parents’ actions were based on industry speculation and professional advice rather than any conversation he had with them. We accept, without reservation, that Henry Tufnell’s parents acted on that independent advice following widely reported speculation over potential changes to Inheritance Tax and Agricultural Property Relief.
A spokesperson for Mr Tufnell said: “There was talk about changes to IHT, which had been in the media for some time, and industry had been raising concerns about the possibility of it being looked at ahead of the Budget announcement. So, of course, as an MP representing a rural constituency, and as an MP from a farming background, Henry engaged constructively with the farming sector as soon as concerns were raised.”
The Herald asked Henry Tufnell’s office when he discussed the issue with his father and how many other farmers he spoke with regarding potential IHT and APR changes before the Budget. At the time of publication, no response had been received, although Mr Tufnell’s representatives had confirmed that a substantive response was forthcoming shortly. However, since publication, Mr. Tufnell’s representatives have clarified that he views discussions of publicly available information as an important part of engaging with his constituents and that there was nothing improper about discussing media speculation with his father.
At the time of writing, at 6:00pm on Wednesday, we had not received a response to either question.
Legal intervention before response
Before we received answers to our questions, Mr Tufnell’s legal team at Carter-Ruck intervened. In an email at 5:00pm on Wednesday, they urged us not to publish anything until they had received further instructions from their client.
The email referenced correspondence between this article’s writer and Joshua Beynon, Mr Tufnell’s Senior Communications Officer.
We accept that any suggestion that Henry Tufnell had privileged information and acted upon it to benefit a family member is categorically untrue. As his interview made clear, the MP did not possess insider knowledge.
To avoid any doubt, we accept the most favourable possible interpretation of his actions: namely, Henry Tufnell did no more than gossip with his father about rumours, the foundations for which were unknown to him. That is entirely different from having concrete information and acting upon it inappropriately.
If The Times is accurate, his father’s estate has avoided a potential £4m future tax liability. Henry Tufnell will not benefit personally from the arrangements made regarding the family’s Cotswold estate.
Tax avoidance and political contradictions
Despite not raising concerns in Parliament before the Budget, Henry Tufnell is now calling for a “review” of the tax changes.
His family’s estate, worth an estimated £20m, has legally shielded part of its assets from the new tax rules, saving a potential £4m. His gilded background was underlined in a gushing profile in society magazine The Tatler. In the profile, Mr Tufnell was described as having the good looks of a Jilly Cooper antihero, while the article referred to his education at Radley public school and Brown University in the USA.
In far less privileged circumstances, thousands of farming families across the UK now face financial uncertainty, including many in Pembrokeshire.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has come under repeated fire for her abject failure to understand basic farm economics. Instead of targeting land speculators who invest in agricultural land for tax relief, the Chancellor’s changes risk breaking up family farms and damaging the UK’s future food security. The spectacle of Labour MPs, including Henry Tufnell, calling upon farmers to act now to avoid paying their “fair share”, as members of the Cabinet call it, is politically “interesting”.
Mr Tufnell never raised the issue in Parliament. On social media this week, he called for “a review” of the policy.
NFU Cymru has lobbied against the changes since the media speculated about the possibility following the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s interview with the BBC on July 30. The union confirmed to us that they heard rumours of the change and lobbied Wales’s MPs to head off Rachel Reeves’s tax grab.
“We face an incredibly difficult situation, but there is still time for the Treasury to stop and think again,” NFU Cymru President Aled Jones said.
“The legitimate proposal we put to the Minister and his officials remains on the table for their consideration, and I urge them to reconsider. It will still enable the Treasury to raise further funds, it will offer a fairer and more balanced way forward, and remove much of the jeopardy for our agricultural sector, including the significant emotional and financial pressures—not forgetting the risks to national food security.”
First Wales trailblazer launched as part of UK Government’s ‘Get Britain Working’ plan
A MAJOR £10 million boost to employment support in Wales has been announced as part of the UK Government’s drive to tackle economic inactivity and “Get Britain Working” again.
The first trailblazer programme in Wales, launched in Denbighshire on Monday (Apr 21), will roll out new tailored employment support including one-to-one mentoring, counselling, wellbeing services, and health condition management.
The programme was launched jointly by UK Minister for Employment Alison McGovern and Welsh Government Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership Jack Sargeant, marking a shift away from a ‘one size fits all’ approach in favour of support targeted to local needs.
The investment will help people with CV writing, job searching, mental health, and managing health issues that may be holding them back from employment. The trailblazer areas – Denbighshire, Blaenau Gwent, and Neath Port Talbot – were selected for their high levels of economic inactivity and will be among nine areas across the UK to pilot these reforms.
During their visit to Working Denbighshire, both Ministers met Work Coaches and saw first-hand the services being offered under the new scheme.
Minister for Employment Alison McGovern said: “Everyone deserves to thrive, including those living with long-term health conditions.
“No one will be written off. This £10 million investment will help connect health and employment services and deliver real change under our Plan for Change.
“Good work provides both dignity and security, and this trailblazer will help people across Wales access that support.”
Welsh Government Minister Jack Sargeant added:
“This investment is an important step in our joint approach to supporting people back into good employment.
“By integrating health and employment support, and tailoring it to each community’s needs, we aim to provide truly joined-up services.
“The Welsh Government is committed to ensuring no one is left behind.”
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
“This £10 million trailblazer will deliver support where it’s most needed – in Blaenau Gwent, Denbighshire, and Neath Port Talbot.
“We know this targeted approach works and builds on the success of initiatives like the Young Person’s Guarantee.
“Helping people into work improves physical and mental health and raises living standards.”
The trailblazers are part of the UK Government’s wider £240 million Get Britain Working reforms, which include:
Transforming Jobcentres to focus on skills and careers
Guaranteeing young people the chance to earn or learn
Expanding mental health support to help people stay in work
The Wales trailblazer follows the first scheme launched earlier this month in South Yorkshire, which focuses on supporting employers to hire people with health conditions. Upcoming trailblazers will also launch in Greater Manchester, the North East, York and North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and three areas in London.
In parallel with the trailblazer initiative, the UK Government has also:
Increased the National Living Wage and Minimum Wage
Introduced the Employment Rights Bill to create more secure jobs
Committed to deeper devolution, supporting local and devolved governments to boost regional growth
The investment into Wales reflects the Prime Minister’s pledge to reset relationships with devolved administrations and empower them to play a leading role in economic growth under the UK’s Plan for Change.
Sentencing of Nerys Lloyd continues at Swansea Crown Court
A FORMER police officer who led a group paddleboarding trip that ended in tragedy has been heavily criticised by victims’ families during sentencing proceedings at Swansea Crown Court.
Nerys Lloyd, 39, admitted four counts of gross negligence manslaughter and a breach of health and safety laws, following the deaths of four people on the River Cleddau in Haverfordwest in October 2021.
The trip, which had been advertised online at £149 per person including accommodation and supervision, ended in disaster when the group were swept over a weir during dangerous river conditions.
The victims were Morgan Rogers, 24, Nicola Wheatley, 40, Andrea Powell, 41, and Lloyd’s co-instructor, Paul O’Dwyer, 42. All were described as beginner or intermediate paddleboarders, with little knowledge of the hazard ahead.
The court heard the river was in flood at the time, with a strong current and a dangerous drop of around 1.3 metres over the weir, except for a narrow fish ramp just wider than a paddleboard.
Prosecutor Mark Watson KC said Lloyd had only a basic instructor qualification, which was not appropriate for guiding a group on a river in such conditions. He told the court nearly two tonnes of water per second was flowing over a one metre-wide section of the weir at the time.
Lloyd was the only member of the group who successfully navigated the fish ramp. The others were swept over the weir and thrown into the fast-moving water.
Families of the victims have condemned Lloyd’s decision to lead the group out in such conditions, calling her actions reckless and accusing her of showing no remorse.
Andrea Powell’s husband, Mark, said his wife would have experienced “sheer panic” and described Lloyd’s failings as “monumental,” labelling her arrogant and careless.
Teresa Hall, mother of Morgan Rogers, told the court: “You guided Morgan to her death,” and described the agony of imagining her daughter struggling to breathe.
Survivor Gemma Cox gave a harrowing account of trying to rescue fellow paddleboarders, saying she had no idea what a weir was and would never have joined the trip had she known.
Another survivor, Melody Johns, called for better safety awareness and regulation, warning that many boards are sold without quick-release leashes that could save lives. A third survivor, Jemma Dugdale, urged organisations including Paddle UK, Paddle Cymru, Sport Wales and Sport England to take action to prevent similar tragedies.
The court also heard that Lloyd was suspended from South Wales Police at the time of the incident, following a caution for an unrelated fraudulent insurance claim. She had not carried out risk assessments or collected next-of-kin information before the trip, causing delays in informing families after the incident.
Following the deaths, Lloyd reportedly said: “It’s my fault 100% … I just turned around and they all fell over.”
The sentencing hearing is due to conclude on Wednesday (Apr 23).
A PRIME seaside trading spot has been made available by Pembrokeshire County Council, offering a unique opportunity for an entrepreneur to operate an ice cream van at the popular Newgale Beach.
The council is inviting tenders for a licence to trade from the northern car park at Newgale between 1st March and 31st October each year. Applications must be submitted by 12:00 noon on Wednesday (Apr 30).
Located on the north-west coast of Pembrokeshire, Newgale Beach stretches for over 3 kilometres and is a favourite among surfers, swimmers, and families alike. Sporting events are frequently held on the beach during the summer months, drawing in large crowds and providing a strong footfall for potential ice cream sales.
The designated car parks at Newgale offer 230 spaces and are the closest surface car parks to the beach. Seasonal parking charges apply between March and October.
The council is seeking offers over £5,000 plus VAT per annum for the licence. Trading hours are expected to be between 11:00am and 7:00pm daily, although these times can be adjusted with the prior agreement of the Streetcare and Parking Manager.
The successful applicant will be allowed to sell principally ice cream, but soft drinks and confectionery may also be sold subject to approval. The sale of alcohol and hot food will not be permitted.
Interested parties are encouraged to visit the site before submitting their applications. An application form can be requested from the council’s Property Helpdesk. All offers will be considered up until the exchange of contracts, although the council is not obliged to accept the highest or any offer.
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