Cornwall Council has passed a motion opposing the government's recently announced 'family farm tax', and others are being urged to follow suit.
The 'landmark' motion, proposed by Conservative Councillor Nick Craker, passed after receiving political support from across the council chamber.
Cllr Craker noted that Cornwall Council was 'dismayed' at the decision in the autumn budget to restrict agricultural property relief (APR).
He called on the government to 'stop the family farm tax' and for the council to consider what support it could provide to local farmers.
A total of 55 votes were cast in favour of the motion, while three were against and three abstained.
Rural campaigners at the Countryside Alliance called the motion 'sensible', as the inheritance tax proposals 'present a major threat' to British farming.
Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external affairs for the alliance, said Chancellor Rachel Reeves 'must listen' to Cornwall Council.
"There is still time for an urgent rethink and its not too late for the Treasury to act," he added.
"Cornwall Council has a history of standing up for the countryside and I hope that other councils across the country follow their lead and help get through to the Treasury just how damaging these proposals are”.
In May 2023, Cornwall Council became the first local authority to back a Countryside Alliance campaign to support local farmers of all sectors.
It pledged to proactively source local, seasonal produce - explicitly including meat and dairy - at council events, while encouraging residents to ‘shop locally’.
This came in the face of several other councils that had opted to ban meat and dairy produce instead.
An additional nine other councils have since followed Cornwall’s lead.
