‘Please don’t despair’ – Jeremy Clarkson issues message to farmers on Ag Budget
31st October 2024
TV presenter and farmer Jeremy Clarkson has issued an encouraging message for British farmers following yesterday’s Autumn Budget announcement.
Following the Autumn Budget yesterday (30th October), Jeremy Clarkson said British farmers have been ‘shafted’ but urged them not to despair.
The industry was rocked by the news that, despite significant lobbying, chancellor Rachel Reeves will reform agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) from April 2026.
From this date, the first £1 million of combined business and agricultural assets will continue to attract no inheritance tax at all, but for assets over £1 million, inheritance tax will apply with 50% relief, at an effective rate of 20%.
Defra subsequently revealed that the agricultural budget will remain at £2.4 billion for 2025/26.
Jeremy Clarkson first commented on the Budget via X (formerly Twitter) by saying: ‘Rachel Reeves. I literally daren’t comment.’
Two hours later, he published an encouraging message for farmers that reads: ‘Farmers. I know that you have been shafted today. But please don’t despair. Just look after yourselves for five short years and this shower will be gone.’
While responding to his fans’ comments, the Clarkson’s Farm star added that the current British government is ‘turning out to be hopeless’.
READ MORE: Chancellor announces “hammer blow” reforms to agricultural property relief
READ MORE: Farmers may face ‘one obstacle too many’ following Ag Budget announcement
Farmers. I know that you have been shafted today. But please don’t despair. Just look after yourselves for five short years and this shower will be gone.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) October 30, 2024
87 words on farming
Ahead of the general election that took place in July, Mr Clarkson told The Sun: “Like almost every normal person in Britain, I’m struggling to work out which way I should vote in the forthcoming election.”
Describing the Labour Party, the Cotswolds farmer said: “I’m sorry, but I cannot find a single redeeming feature.”
He added: “[…] In the entire campaign so far, not a single candidate has said one word that I agree with.
“They want open borders, zero growth and everyone living in a bucket of shame because their great-great grandad once bought a hairbrush that had possibly been made by slaves.
“Their manifesto contains just 87 words on farming. Which, when translated into English basically say: ‘We hate you, you meat-eating rural halfwits.’
“It’s even been suggested that inheritance tax will have to be paid on farm land. Which means that in about 20 years’ time, there will be no farm land.
“And therefore no food, apart from in all the town-centre, nuclear-free, South African peace stores, where you will be able to buy sustainable tofu.”
Mr Clarkson also said he understood that people are fed up with the Tories, but added: “I’d rather vote for my dog than Sir Starmer’s merry bunch of ideological nincompoops.”
Blow to British farmers
The NFU said that the Budget is a “blow to British farmers” and could lead to food price rises.
The union added that the changes will add to the cost of producing food at a time when hard-pressed British farmers cannot absorb it, meaning either the supply chain or consumers will end up bearing the brunt.
The impact on British family farms which, already stretched to breaking point after a decade of tightening margins, cost inflation and extreme weather events, could be the final straw for many.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw added that this Budget not only threatens family farms but will also make producing food more expensive.
“This means more cost for farmers who simply cannot absorb it, and it will have to be borne by someone. Farmers are down to the bone and gristle, who is going to carry these costs?
“It’s been a bad Budget for farm confidence, which is already at an all-time low. After today farmers, including tenants, have more uncertainty and more worry, not less.
“When you look farmers in the eye and make them a promise, keep it. The shameless breaking of those promises on agricultural property relief will snatch away much of the next generation’s ability to carry on producing British food, plan for the future and shepherd the environment,” he concluded.
NFU added that there is some good news within the Budget, as those hit by devastating rainfall earlier this year will ‘immediately’ have access to the £60 million Farm Recovery Fund, an increase of £10 million.
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