Calderdale, a Labour council in West Yorkshire has been accused of launching an attack on British farmers with a “draconian” meat and dairy ban.

They have become the latest among a string of town halls to implement “100 per cent plant-based catering” at events to reduce its carbon footprint.

The move, which was agreed at a meeting of the council last week, has provoked a backlash from countryside campaigners, who are demanding that the Environment Secretary condemns the policy.

The Telegraph reports: An increasing number of local authorities, including Labour-controlled Enfield in London and Oxford city council, have introduced meat and dairy bans or signed so-called plant-based treaties in a bid to be more environmentally friendly.

But the trend has been resisted by some rural communities, with 10 councils – including Suffolk, Cornwall and Dorset – voting in favour of an alternative motion from the Countryside Alliance to keep meat and dairy on the menu.

The policy agreed by Calderdale last week states that catering provided at meetings and events hosted by the council on its own premises must be “100 per cent plant based”. It should also be “focused on wholefood which is minimally processed, and where possible should be locally sourced and seasonal”.

‘Attack on farming’

The ban specifically covers catering funded by the council, and does not apply to food purchased by staff for their own consumption, or for individuals, such as children in care.

Drinks are also exempt, although plant-based alternatives to milk should be provided at council events.

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external affairs at the Countryside Alliance, said: “It is incredibly concerning to see a Labour council introduce such a draconian and anti-livestock farming policy. This represents an attack on farming and freedom of choice, which I only hope Steve Reed and the Labour Party condemn utterly.

“If the council truly cared about achieving net zero, it would commit to reducing emissions from food miles by sourcing local produce – be it meat, dairy, or plant-based – at all events, following on from many other councils across the UK.”

The plans, first endorsed by cabinet members in June, prompted concerns from the National Farmers Union, which argued that “removing certain products from our diets misses the point of a sustainable food system”.