Jeremy Clarkson’s fury as farmers protest over inheritance tax raid is blocked
A mass protest by farmers against Rachel Reeves's inheritance tax raid has been blocked, Jeremy Clarkson has claimed.
The former Top Gear presenter was among hundreds of farmers who had planned to attend a major demonstration on Nov 19 against the Government's inheritance tax raid on their land.
However the National Farmers Union (NFU) said that "legal issues" meant that only 1,800 of their members would be allowed to attend a lobbying event and that protesters could not "simply turn up in numbers in Westminster in the streets or the open spaces".
Scotland Yard stressed that they "have not banned anyone from marching on this date" and officers "will work with anyone wishing to organise a peaceful protest".
Last week, Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, used her Budget to end the practice of letting all farmers pass on estates without inheritance tax , instead placing a 20 per cent tax on assets worth more than £1 million.
It has led to warnings that the "tractor tax" will threaten food security and irreparably damage Britain's farming industry.
'We wanted sensible and dignified protest'
Clarkson , 64, owner of Diddly Squat Farm, questioned why demonstrations from Just Stop Oil and pro-Palestine activists have been allowed to go ahead with far greater numbers.
In an interview with the Sun newspaper, Clarkson said he had booked a coach to London to protest alongside farmers from the Cotswolds, but he has now been forced to shelve his plans.
He told the newspaper: "Perhaps, if I had draped my tractor in a Palestinian flag it would be different.
"It seems that if you are from Just Stop Oil or protesting about Gaza, you can do what you want.
"But farmers are treated differently by a government that is waging an all out-war on the countryside.
"We wanted to protest in a dignified and sensible way – which was why I had booked the coach rather than causing disruption with tractors and farming vehicles."
He claimed that NFU organisers have been told to restrict their numbers for the rally.
NFU, in a message to their 55,000 members on Wednesday, urged those who have not registered to stay away from London.
"There are legal issues which mean we can't simply turn up in numbers in Westminster on the streets, or the open spaces.
"We cannot risk either member or public safety, or the loss of public support, that could come from what could be an illegal demonstration.
"But far more than 1,800 NFU members want their voice to be heard, and rightly. The level of anger in the industry may never have been so high."
"So whilst our mass lobby event is at capacity and we are asking members who have not registered not to do so now, we want this to be the first event, not the only event, where you can be heard."
