Jeremy Clarkson made a surprise appearance at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, where he criticised Labour’s approach to farming and argued that the Government had failed to understand the pressure facing family farms.
The Clarkson’s Farm star was interviewed on stage by shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins, with his land agent Charlie Ireland also taking part. Clarkson said ministers had not grasped the impact of proposed changes to inheritance tax on agricultural businesses.
He also revealed that Ms Eagle, the Environment Secretary, had postponed a meeting with Mr Ireland three times, while accusing planning officers of interfering in decisions about what farmers could do on their own land.
Clarkson said the latest year had been exceptionally difficult at his Oxfordshire farm, with the harvest producing what he described as “three ounces of hen food”.
“We worked really hard all year and we ended up with, I think I’m right in saying, three ounces of hen food,” he said.
“It was an absolute disaster on the farming side but, I mean, luckily we’ve got other projects going on now. But the farming is very, very difficult, very, very difficult at the moment.”
He said he hoped the weather would be less hot in 2027, but acknowledged that his other work had helped him withstand the losses.
“I’m very fortunate that I do have other income streams and newspaper columns, but if you’re an ordinary farmer, it’s not just the weather,” Clarkson said.
“Remember, it’s as Charlie was saying, the attacks come from everywhere – whether it’s Iran or Ukraine or taxes or energy costs – whatever it might be, it’s just relentless.”
Clarkson, who presents Who Wants To Be A Millionaire on ITV, joked: “Not every famer has a quiz show to host on ITV…”
He said he was considering opening another pub, but suggested it would be outside Britain. “Why would anybody set up a business in this country right now?” he asked.
Clarkson also referred to rising costs at the pub he runs near his farm in the Cotswolds. Two years ago, he opened the Farmers’ Dog at Asthall, near Burford, selling produce grown or reared by British farmers.
He has become a prominent supporter of farmers and attended a protest in London against the Government’s plan to introduce inheritance tax on farmland in November 2024.
Former chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the levy in Labour’s first Budget. It was watered down the following December after a campaign by farmers and pressure from some Labour MPs representing rural constituencies.
Clarkson bought the farm now known as Diddly Squat nearly 20 years ago and began running it himself in 2019. The site later featured in his Amazon Prime series, which has attracted a large audience.
He opened a restaurant on the farm, but it was later closed by West Oxfordshire District Council after an alleged lack of planning permission.
Mr Ireland called for a more joined-up approach to water storage, saying large volumes of winter rain were flowing out to sea instead of being captured.
Clarkson added: “If you just left us alone, I’m pretty sure the countryside would be a lot better than it is now.”
