Alliance-backed town hall rebellion against family farm tax grows

Several local councils have overwhelmingly voted to support farmers against the government's new family farm tax, in what the Countryside Alliance has called a growing ‘town hall rebellion’.

Suffolk, North Northamptonshire, Devon, Cambridgeshire and Harborough councils now join Cornwall, Buckinghamshire and Staffordshire Moorlands in publicly opposing Chancellor Rachel Reeves's changes to inheritance tax rules for farms announced in the Autumn Budget.

In Suffolk, a motion proposed by council leader Councillor Matthew Hicks, argued that the tax risks threatening the viability of the county's farming sector and putting the nation's food security at risk.

After a lengthy and passionate debate in the chamber on 12 December, attended by representatives of the Countryside Alliance, councillors from the Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats and the Green Party, as well as local independents and the county's only Reform councillor, supported the motion. Labour councillors voted against. 

Earlier this week, Devon County Council voted to give its full support to farmers and called for the immediate withdrawal of the proposed family farm tax.

Councillors have also confirmed their wholehearted support for the county’s own farms estate which aims to give people a start in agriculture.

The council backed an emergency motion from Conservative councillor Lois Samuel, who is also a member of the ruling Cabinet, and accepted an additional amendment from Liberal Democrat Alan Connett.

On Tuesday night (10 December), members of Harborough District Council in Leicestershire backed a motion demanding the decision is re-visited and the impact on individuals and the economy – both nationally and locally – is fully considered.

In North Northamptonshire (NNC), a motion submitted by Conservative councillor Alex Evelyn was debated at a meeting of the full council last Thursday, 5 December, asking council officers to scrutinise the government's new inheritance tax plans, saying the decision was "ideologically driven" and a direct threat to the rural communities of North Northamptonshire. The authority was called upon to consider what support it could offer farmers affected by the new tax rates and investigate the wider impact it could have on food security, local businesses and employment.

Leader of NNC, Jason Smithers said: "It seems there’s a constant attack on parts of our society, private schools, businesses, old age pensioners. There’s something that you don’t like rich people, obviously.

"Will Sir Keir Starmer fight for our hard-working farmers? Will this Labour group in front of us support this motion and stand shoulder to shoulder with our hard-working farmers?"

Opposition Labour Cllr Zoe McGhee argued : "It's a bit divisive, but I'm going to say it because I believe it - if this new Labour government, rather than hitting our most vulnerable residents, wants to tax the rich, I can live with that."

Following the heated discussion, 38 members voted to support the motion, while seven were against and three abstained.

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external affairs for the Countryside Alliance said:

“ The Countryside Alliance team has been busy contacting councillors from across the country in recent days urging them to publicly oppose this awful tax. The town hall rebellion appears to be sweeping across England quickly and we thank all those councils who have made a stand already".

"The councils that have taken action add their weight to the growing list of bodies and experts who are demanding a rethink".

"If the Chancellor will not listen and work with the farming community to find a way forward, her battle with the countryside will simply become a long running sore. That isn’t good for anyone and it’s a very bad look for the Government”.