Sir Keir Starmer has been dealt a huge blow by 39 Labour councillors after they voted for a motion against Rachel Reeves' farm tax. A motion calling for Durham County Council to stand up for local farmers and raise concerns over the future of the sector was tabled at a meeting this week. It was put forward by Conservative leader Richard Bell, and asked leaders to “outline the council’s dismay at the decisions made in the recent Budget”.
In October, the Chancellor announced that, from April 2026, taxes would apply to agricultural assets over £1million, or up to £3million in "certain circumstances". There has also been fury at the Government closing the sustainable farming incentive (SFI) scheme for new applications. A spokesperson for the authority confirmed to the Express that all of the councillors present at the meeting supported the motion. These included 37 Labour representatives. Fifth generation farmer and NFU North Riding and Durham County Chair Clare Wise urged the council to put forward the motion of support.
She said the union is "thrilled and grateful" that the authority sent a "strong message" to Government about the vital role farmers play, and the "devastating effects their poorly planned policies will have on them".
Ms Wise added: “Durham County is the heartland of family farming and relies heavily on the rural community for jobs and a thriving economy.
“Beyond inheritance tax, the recent halting of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, shorting uplands support, new taxes on fertiliser and supply chain inequalities have seen farm incomes locally fall by record levels.
“Hard working people deserve a better deal from this government and the council has fully acknowledged this and the local communities are grateful and lucky to have such strong representation.
“A huge thank you to all who voted and it was a huge message of support for all of our members, it is so good that we have that support and every drop creates an ocean.”
Here is a list of the Labour councillors who voted for the motion:
