A motion calling for Warrington Borough Council to formally oppose the Labour Government’s proposed changes to inheritance tax that ‘threaten family farms’ is set to be debated by councillors.

The motion on ‘protecting family farms and preserving rural Britain’ will be put forward at the full council meeting on Monday.

It is to be proposed by Conservative Cllr Rob Tynan, and seconded by independent Cllr Neil Johnson.

The motion will ask the council to note that the Labour Government’s recent autumn Budget announcement to remove agricultural property relief (APR) under its new ‘family farm tax’ will ‘severely impact’ British family farms, making it ‘increasingly difficult for farmers to pass down their land to future generations’.

A vote will take place on the motion.

The motion will ask the council to resolve to formally oppose ‘Labour’s proposed changes to inheritance tax that threaten family farms’.

It will also ask the council to resolve to urge the council leader to write to the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs ‘expressing the council’s opposition’ to the ‘family farm tax’ and ‘calling on the Government to protect APR for family farms’ – as well as to commit to publishing a list of affected farms in the area to ‘increase awareness and support for local farmers’.

The motion says: “This council stands with Britain’s family farms, pledging to protect our rural communities, food security, and environment from the adverse impacts of this proposed policy.”