Jeremy Clarkson is not a rural hero - he is the rich elite avoiding tax while hurting real farming families

Thousands of farmers are heading to the capital today to protest changes in inheritance tax applied to farms, however there’s one famous face leading the charge who, quite frankly, should be ashamed to even be there. Jeremy Clarkson has confirmed his attendance, along with a coach-load of others heading off from his Diddly Squat farm.

Speaking to The Sun, the Clarkson’s Farm star said: “I will be there, despite having letters from doctors telling me not to go on the march and saying I must avoid stress. We have got two coaches of farmers from around here who are leaving from Diddly Squat. It is a hugely important issue.”

I’m sorry Jeremy but your hypocrisy is absolutely staggering. Let me explain.

Farmers are angry after Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget revealed they would now have to pay a 20% inheritance tax on land and property worth more than £1 million on their death. However, the Government has defended changes as “fair and balanced”, saying it would only affect 500 estates a year and small family farms would not be hit.

The reason they say the changes to inheritance rules are needed is because exemptions for agricultural land had led to wealthy individuals from non-farming backgrounds buying up land to avoid paying inheritance - pushing up land prices and forcing aspiring farmers out of the industry. Writing for The Telegraph, Environment Secretary Steve Reed, said: “It’s become the most effective way for the super-rich to avoid paying their inheritance tax – and it’s costing other taxpayers a whopping £200 million.”

Now let’s rewind to 2021 when our great saviour of the country folk, Clarkson, spoke to The Times about his decision to take the seemingly inexplicable leap from the world of journalism and motorcars to, urm, working the land. He said at the time that the tax break was ‘critical’ in his decision to buy a 312-acre farm on the Gloucestershire/Oxfordshire border for more than £4 million back in 2012.

The 64-year-old, estimated to have a fortune of £55.8 million, wrote of his purchase: “Land is a better investment than any bank can offer. The Government doesn't get any of my money when I die. And the price of the food that I grow can only go up. But there is another, much more important reason: I can now have a quad bike.

“I have always loved the idea. They are like motorbikes but they don't fall over when you leave them alone, they look great and they bring a bit of civilisation to Britain's rather dreary green and brown bits.”

Well, I’m glad Clarkson felt able to make light of the situation, one that has forced the government to take action against the loophole that was only making the rich richer while making farming ever more costly for those who have been producing this country’s food for generations.

Using the campaign against the tax changes to highlight inequalities in land ownership in England, author Guy Shrubsole said 18% of land was owned by corporations, with a further 17% bought up by oligarchs and bankers. He said: “Small farmers deserve all of our support – and they’re not helped by giving tax breaks to wealthy investors who’ve been snapping up farmland as a handy tax shelter, inflating the price of land and starving public services of cash.”

I couldn’t agree more. And while Jeremy may well have helped raise awareness of the plight of farmers through his Amazon Prime TV show, it’s people like him - multi-millionaires who will do anything to avoid paying their taxes - who have made life harder for the real farming families already struggling to make ends meet.

Jeremy Clarkson - you don’t represent farmers, you represent the rich elite and you should hang your head in shame.