Jeremy Clarkson to join thousands of farmers protesting at inheritance tax shake-up

The former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, who owns a farm in the Cotswolds, is said to be defying doctors’ orders to join farmers protesting in central London

Jeremy Clarkson is set to join thousands of farmers as they descend on Westminster in protest at changes to inheritance tax.

The former Top Gear presenter is said to be defying doctors’ orders after a recent heart operation to join the demonstration in central London.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is holding a mass lobby of MPs with 1,800 of its members to urge backbenchers to demand the Government U-turns. Thousands more are expected to join a separate rally in Whitehall as they protest.

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

Over a decade ago Mr Clarkson said there were “many sensible reasons” for why he bought a farm, including that the “government doesn’t get any of my money when I die”. But last month the Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a shake-up to inheritance tax rules – prompting a major row.

Previously farming businesses qualified for 100% relief – paying zero inheritance tax. But now the tax is being imposed on farms worth more than £1 million, with an effective tax rate of 20% on assets above the threshold. This is less than the normal 40% rate for inheritance tax.

The Government claims that the actual threshold before paying inheritance tax could be as much as £3 million, once exemptions for each partner in a couple and for the farm property are taken into account.

In a joint statement with the Environment Secretary Steve Reed last night, the Chancellor said farmers were the backbone of Britain and acknowledged the “strength of feeling” from farming and rural communities in recent weeks.

They insisted they were “steadfast” in their support of British farming, saying: “It’s why we are investing £5 billion into farming over the next two years – the largest amount ever directed towards sustainable food production, rural economic growth and nature’s recovery in our country’s history.

But they said: “With public services crumbling and a £22 billion fiscal hole that this Government inherited, we have taken difficult decisions. The reforms to agricultural property relief ensure that wealthier estates and the most valuable farms pay their fair share to invest in our schools and health services that farmers and families in rural communities rely on.”

But the President of the National Farmers’ Union (NUF) Tom Bradshaw has accused the government of a “betrayal” of farmers.

He told Sky News on Tuesday: “There’s always been an understanding, a contract, between farming and society, farming and the government, ever since the Second World War, and this Labour Government have just destroyed that contract with the changes they proposed to the inheritance tax.”

He said NFU members are “asset-rich but cash-poor”.. “We’d love to pay more tax,” Mr Bradshaw added. “If we get proper margins from food production, and we end up swelling the Treasury coffers, bring it on.

“But at the moment the supply chain doesn’t give us those returns that enables us to save the money to pay the inheritance tax that this Government now wants to take.”