Jeremy Clarkson may portray himself as the voice of farmers, but Ian Hislop has explained why he doesn’t deserve that title.
After a week of protests from the farming community, Hislop shared his strong opinions on the political satire show Have I Got News For You, criticising Clarkson’s stance on changes to inheritance tax laws.
Ian Hislop’s take on the farming protests
On the show, Ian Hislop took aim at those protesting recent tax changes, including Jeremy Clarkson. He argued that these changes are designed to prevent wealthy landowners from buying up farms for tax benefits.
As announced by the Labour Party, from April 2026, agricultural assets inherited above £1 million will be subject to a 20% inheritance tax. This is half the usual rate.
What are the new inheritance tax changes?
Dan Neidle, founder of the independent Tax Policy Associates, explained that, like the rest of the population, there will be no inheritance tax on properties valued up to £325,000. This brings the untaxed total up to £1.325 million.
But public figures like Jeremy Clarkson and Nigel Farage, who will be impacted by these changes, have positioned themselves as the voices of the farming community. Both have been vocal in their opposition to the new measures.
Ian Hislop slams Clarkson’s hypocrisy
Hislop, however, has compared their actions to Marie Antoinette’s infamous disregard for the plight of the people. In his typical satirical style, he remarked, “Farmers now pay about half the inheritance tax that everyone else does, and the thresholds set by the government are actually quite generous. It’s meant to prevent wealthy landowners from buying farms to avoid taxes. So, who springs to mind? Jeremy Clarkson.”
Hislop continued, “Clarkson bought his farm to dodge tax. Now he claims to be the champion of small farmers, who won’t even be affected by this and will ultimately suffer for different reasons. It’s like Marie Antoinette at a shepherdess protest.”
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