Clarkson asks ‘why would anybody set up a business in this country’ under Burnham

Jeremy Clarkson has warned that Britain’s farmers are facing “relentless” pressure from rising taxes, energy costs, geopolitical turmoil and increasingly difficult conditions, during a surprise appearance at the Conservative Party conference.

The Clarkson’s Farm presenter used the appearance to attack the pressures facing rural businesses, arguing that farmers are being squeezed from multiple directions at a time when the economics of agriculture are already under strain.

“Not every farmer has a quiz show to host on ITV, I think that’s the essence of it. If you’re an ordinary farmer, this is not just the weather; the attacks come from everywhere,” Clarkson said.

“Whether it’s Iran or Ukraine or taxes or energy costs, whatever it might be it’s just relentless.”

His comments came as the Conservatives sought to highlight the pressures facing farmers and attack Labour’s changes to agricultural inheritance taxation.

Clarkson accused Labour of failing to understand the economics and traditions of farming, directing criticism at Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer.

Asked by shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins about the impact of inheritance tax changes, Clarkson argued that farms could not be treated in the same way as conventional assets.

“I think they didn’t understand it when they introduced it … With a farm it’s completely different because you’d have to sell a bit of it, making it even less profitable, or you’d sell the whole lot,” he said.

“And the person moving it doesn’t necessarily know how to farm. I mean, look at me.”

“That’s going to the problem with farms, it’s not like houses, it’s not like normal life. And also you then lose where you grew up, you’re the only person who knows how that farm works because you grew up on it.”

Clarkson argued that transferring farms between generations was not simply a matter of passing an asset from one owner to another, but preserving knowledge accumulated over decades.

“It makes perfect sense for the way the countryside looks and our food supply system for farmers to pass it on to the only people who know how to do it, which is your kids.”

The dispute centres on changes first announced by former chancellor Rachel Reeves in her 2024 Budget. The government introduced a 20% inheritance tax charge on qualifying agricultural assets above £1mn, ending the previous unlimited relief.

Labour subsequently changed the policy in December 2025, increasing the threshold to £2.5mn. The revised rules came into force in April this year.

The issue has nevertheless remained politically contentious, with farming groups warning that inheritance tax can force families to reconsider whether farms can remain viable across generations.

Clarkson also used his appearance to question the broader business climate in Britain, asking the Conservative audience: “Why would anybody set up a business in this country right now?”

He joked that he could consider opening another pub overseas.

“I’ll see if I can do it abroad somewhere. I probably won’t, but I’m dreaming of it.”

The presenter then turned the joke towards the planned migrant accommodation site at Piddington, quipping: “I might have to go to Piddington, that’s abroad, isn’t it?”

Clarkson was joined on stage by Charlie Ireland, a fan favourite from Clarkson’s Farm, as the pair discussed the challenges facing Diddly Squat Farm.

The farm has also faced difficult conditions following an exceptionally hot summer, with Clarkson describing the latest season in stark terms.

“Terrible… It was an absolute disaster on the farming side. The farming is very, very difficult at the moment.”

Yet Clarkson said farmers had little choice but to remain optimistic about the future.

“And the way I look at it you have to be optimistic. 76 was very hot, 77 was also very hot… I’m just hoping that next year will be okay again.”

His intervention underlined the increasingly political nature of Britain’s farming debate, with agriculture caught between tax policy, energy costs, climate conditions and the wider economic consequences of geopolitical instability.

For the Conservatives, Clarkson’s appearance offered a high-profile illustration of their argument that rural businesses are facing mounting pressures.

For farmers, however, the challenge is more immediate: keeping businesses productive and profitable while absorbing costs and uncertainty that are increasingly difficult to control.