Bruton feared wealth tax backlash by farmers

THE backlash against Finance Minister Richie Ryan's Wealth Tax proposals led Fine Gael TDs to warn the Taoiseach they would lose the next election.

Future Taoiseach John Bruton told Liam Cosgrave in a letter in May 1974 a delegation from the Irish Farmers Association had approached him to let him know the new tax was "totally unacceptable to them".

"You know I have strong family associations with the IFA and its individual members played no small part in my election to the Dáil in the last two general elections. I therefore take this organisation very seriously," Bruton wrote.

He wrote a second letter after being approached by a group of party workers from North Kildare warning: "It is my opinion the wealth tax proposal has fundamentally shaken the confidence of many of our supporters to such a degree that at this stage they are unlikely to be satisfied with anything less that the complete withdrawal of the wealth tax," he said.

"In political terms it would be the only course which would assure many of these people that Fine Gael's traditional commitment to this section of its supporters remains as strong as ever."

Wexford TD John Grattan Esmonde also wrote to inform Cosgrave that party members in his constituency were speaking openly against the proposal - behaviour he described as "short sighted" and "naive".

He said he hoped they would not in future "be allowed the freedom of expression that has hithertofore been the case," and added: "If it is allowed to continue then people like myself will be forced into the open to publicly repudiate such utterances."

He warned of the damage being done to the party, saying: "There is a certain air of disenchantment becoming evident in the party. Members of Fine Gael do not appear that much in the House and are not anxious to partake in debates."

Another member of the party faithful, Frank Tyrrell, honorary secretary of the Carbury District Executive in Meath, wrote that farmers in the area were deeply angered by the proposals.

"Many of those I know to be long standing loyal FG voters will not give their first preferences to FG in the forthcoming county council elections and some are openly speaking of canvassing for Fianna Fail.

"Older people who say they cannot bring themselves to vote against FG say they will stay at home."

The owner of Slane Castle, the Marquis Conyngham, described the tax as "ill-conceived and unfair", pointing out that he had spend 26 years investing large amounts of capital into the upkeep and improvement of the castle and estate with little cash return.

Richie Ryan amended parts of the proposal, exempting livestock and bloodstock as assets in the calculation of wealth, and raising the original wealth thresholds by some £30,000, but it remained an unpopular measure that was to dog the coalition throughout its tenure and helped earn Ryan the nickname Richie Ruin.