An Abergavenny Town councillor has had their motion for the body to call on the UK Government to impose a wealth tax voted down, after calling the town “The most unequal part of Wales.”

Cllr Gethin Jones’ motion was discussed at a meeting of the full Town Council on Wednesday night, where it was voted down by the Labour group for a second time. In a report, the Plaid Cymru councillor said it was in the best interest of people here and local government’s finances to push the UK Government to introduce a levy of two per cent on assets over £10 million.

“Abergavenny, while having areas of affluence, also has communities experiencing deep-seated deprivation,” the report read.

“According to the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD), some parts of the town rank among the most deprived in Wales in certain domains, such as education and economic activity.”

The motion itself said the money from a wealth tax would be used to fund essential public services, including libraries, community centres and public transport.

Cllr Jones also said the income generated from the levy could be used by the responsible parties to build more social housing and create local green jobs.

It was recently announced that the budget high street giant, Poundland, would be leaving Abergavenny, leaving local people without jobs in the town’s busy retail sector.

However, while the Labour First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, has called for the wealthiest people in the UK to be taxed, the Business Secretary in Westminster has previously branded the idea as “daft.”

“Be serious about this,” he said.

“What if your wealth was not in your bank account? What if it was in fine wine or art? We can’t tax that.”

“The idea that there is a magic wealth tax, some sort of levy... that doesn’t exist anywhere in the world.”

The disparity between Welsh Labour’s calls and the the UK Government’s approach is clear, and with a Senedd election looming just over six months away councillors from across Monmouthshire will be looking to jump into action in Cardiff Bay.

Cllr Jones is the only Plaid Cymru councillor in Abergavenny after defecting from Labour, with the proposal for a 2 per cent wealth tax originating in his party.

Plaid says it would generate around £24 billion extra in public finances and estimates it would affect roughly 20,000 people in the United Kingdom. It also supports aligning Capital Gains Tax rates with Income Tax rates, which it believes would generate up to £15 billion per year.

The introduction of motions affecting national interest at local government meetings could suggest that local candidates are beginning to think about setting their stalls out ahead of the election in May 2026, as they contest the new Sir Fynwy Torfaen constituency.

Two Abergavenny Town Councillors have been announced as candidates for the Senedd by Welsh Labour, while the current leader of Monmouthshire County Council, Cllr Mary Ann Brocklesby, also represents a ward on the council.