Robin Swann warns budget must support families, farmers & small businesses

South Antrim MP Robin Swann

Ahead of Wednesday’s Autumn Budget, Robin Swann MP has issued a stark warning over the proposed Family Farm Tax, describing it as a “deeply damaging and utterly unacceptable threat” to family-run farms across Northern Ireland.

The Ulster Unionist MP stressed the importance of protecting these farms, which he described as integral to both rural communities and local economies.

“As I have made clear time and time again, the Family Farm Tax is a direct threat to the survival of family farms in Northern Ireland. These farms are not large commercial businesses - they are family farms, passed down through generations and which sustain our rural communities.

“This tax would punish families who simply want to pass their land from one generation to the next. It would undermine succession planning, destabilise family businesses and could force many families out of farming for good. This proposal must be withdrawn.”

Swann urged the Chancellor to acknowledge the significant pressures already weighing on Northern Ireland’s farmers, including rising input costs and the complexities of post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Beyond the Family Farm Tax, the Ulster Unionist Party has called for several measures it hopes to see addressed in the upcoming Budget. Key priorities include:

• Scrapping the two-child limit on Universal Credit, a policy Swann argues has pushed low-income families to breaking point.

• Reducing Corporation Tax to help Northern Ireland businesses compete with other UK regions.

• Ensuring duty-free parity for airports across the UK, supporting Northern Ireland airports such as Belfast International.

• Reducing Hospitality VAT, using Northern Ireland as a pilot scheme to support a sector vital to jobs and tourism.

• Guaranteeing protection for working families from further tax increases at a time when household budgets are under pressure.

“The Ulster Unionist Party has been clear about what Northern Ireland needs from this Budget. We want to see practical measures that offer fairness to working families, support to businesses and bring relief to sectors under real strain,” Swann said.

As Northern Ireland braces for the Autumn Budget, local farmers, businesses, and families will be watching closely to see whether the Chancellor responds to these urgent calls for fairness and targeted economic support.