Jeremy Clarkson, 64, joined fellow farmers on Tuesday in London to protest about the so-called 'tractor tax' that the Labour government is implementing. He was left in hot water when BBC journalist Victoria Derbyshire asked him: "Is it not about you? About your farm because you bought a farm to avoid inheritance tax?"
Victoria pushed him on his own comments regarding inheritance and the acquisition of Diddly Squat, and he clapped back with: "I wanted to shoot," claiming that the inheritance tax situation is only an incidental benefit of the situation.
He has since clarified: "The only reason I said that is because I actually bought the farm because I wanted to shoot, but you can't go around saying, 'Oh, I wanted to shoot' because then you get shouted at by animal enthusiasts.
"I jokingly said, oh, it's just inheritance tax and now of course it's come back to bite me on the arse, but it doesn't really matter because we're here to support farmers, we’re not talking about me."
© Brian J Ritchie/Hotsauce/ShutterstockIn 2021, starring on HELLO!'s Spotlight cover, Jeremy told us: "I've actually lived on the farm for many years, we had it for all sorts of inheritance tax reasons. The farm made no money, it didn't cost any money, it was just a nice thing to have. It was run by a chap from the village who was a farmer, and then when he was retiring, I suddenly thought, 'I can do that.'"
© James D. MorganPreviously Jeremy spoke on the Top Gear website, about his reasoning behind the huge project: "I have bought a farm. There are many sensible reasons for this. 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."
© AmazonThe protests come following the news that from, 2026, the government will introduce a tax of 20% on inherited farming assets above £1 million. Many farmers are worrying that it will be the death of family farms that get passed down the generations.
This farming tax will also have an impact on the royal family, including Princess Anne's estate Gatcombe Park, and what will happen when it is handed down to her children one day.
What is Diddly Squat Farm really like?
Located in Chipping Norton, the farm has received a lot of attention since the success of Jeremy's Amazon Prime show, Clarkson's Farm. Each weekend, fans flock to the Farm Shop, and it has caused a flurry of complaints over traffic issues.
TV & Film Editor, Emmy Griffiths spent the day at Diddly Squat Farm where she met Kaleb and adorable piglets!
