Local authorities are fighting back against proposed inheritance tax changes targeting family farms, in what the Countryside Alliance has dubbed a 'town hall rebellion'.
A motion opposing the policy, announced in the Autumn Budget, has already been passed by Cornwall and Buckinghamshire councils.
New motions opposing the farm tax are set to be debated and voted on this week at major authorities including North Northamptonshire Council and the London Assembly.
Similar motions have been proposed in Suffolk and Portsmouth, set to be debated later in the month.
Susan Hall, a Conservative member of the London Assembly, has urged her Assembly colleagues to support her motion ahead of a vote today, Thursday 5 December.
The motion calls on mayor Sadiq Khan and the Greater London Authority to lobby the Labour government to reinstate 100% reliefs under agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR).
She is urging London Assembly members to put party politics aside and vote for the motion. There are currently 11 Labour members, eight Conservatives, three Green, two Liberal Democrats and one Reform.
Ms Hall criticised the tax, stating:
“The family farm tax threatens the future of British farming and our food security. Despite all the warnings from rural stakeholders and experts, Rachel Reeves and the Treasury just aren’t listening. Farmers work tirelessly day-in, day-out, in all weather conditions, and against countless barriers, to put food on the plates of family dinner tables and restaurants across London. Our capital is dependent on farmers to help fuel its citizens with their healthy, seasonal, and sustainable produce. I hope that all Assembly Members, regardless of political party, back this motion to send Rachel Reeves a message, before it’s too late.”
Elsewhere later today, North Northamptonshire councillors will debate and debate a similar motion.
Alex Evelyn, a newly elected Conservative councillor who introduced the motion, emphasised the tax’s potential devastating impact on rural communities in the local area.
He said:
“Farmers are the backbone of North Northamptonshire. This damaging family farm tax will harm British produce, food supply chains, and rural employment. It’s essential we stand with our farming communities to protect their livelihoods.”
The Countryside Alliance is supporting these motions with its director of external affairs, Mo Metcalf-Fisher, describing the movement as a critical stand for the future of British agriculture.
He said:
“These changes present a major threat to the future of British farming. We are grateful to councils taking a stand and urge Assembly Members and councillors regardless of political party to add their voices to the growing opposition” he said.
“There is still time for the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, and the Treasury to rethink this disastrous policy.”
The proposed inheritance tax reforms, set to take effect in April 2026, have faced mounting criticism from farming organisations and rural communities, who fear they could destabilise farming businesses and disrupt food supply chains.
More than 20,000 farmers attended a protest march in London last month amid warnings about the survival of the family farm and risks to British food security.