Jeremy Clarkson furious as farmers’ IHT protest blocked while pro-Palestinian marches continue

[dutchman]

Jeremy Clarkson was among hundreds of farmers who had planned to travel to London to protest alongside NFU event on Nov 19



Farmers are planning a breakaway inheritance tax protest after the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) declined to back a mass demonstration.

The NFU has urged people to stay away from the streets of London on the day of its planned lobby event later this month, which has been capped at 1,800 members.

Jeremy Clarkson was among hundreds of farmers who had planned to travel to London to protest alongside the event on Nov 19.

But the NFU wrote to members on Wednesday, saying only the 1,800 who had registered to attend its event at the Church House conference centre in Westminster should attend.

A separate group of farmers has now applied for permission to hold a protest march on the same day, and hopes to bring thousands to the city.

Farmers will have to pay inheritance tax on estates worth more than £1 million under changes, introduced in the Budget, which have been criticised as disastrous for family farms.

The NFU has said it cannot support militant action, and has focused on lobbying the Government and rural MPs on the issue.

Clive Bailye, an arable farmer in Staffordshire and the founder of the Farming Forum, who helped organise the splinter protest, said the NFU was not reflecting farmers’ anger.

“That’s been the theme for a while,” he said. “I think they’ve been losing members a lot over recent years because people just feel they’re a bit wishy-washy.”

He added that the protest would be complementary to the mass lobbying event being held by the NFU in Westminster.

Kevin Hollinrake, the MP for Thirsk and Malton and shadow housing secretary, said he would attend the protest in solidarity with his constituents.

“I will definitely be there somewhere. There’s a number of farmers coming from my constituency and I will be there to support them,” he said.

“This is an extremely damaging and socialism-induced tax that must be reversed.”

Gareth Wyn Jones, a TV farmer and campaigner, also said people were getting frustrated with the union’s quiet lobbying in the face of pressures on the industry.

“Something radically needs to be done,” he said. “Because to me it looks as if there’s a lot of people fighting the fight, but the Government is not listening. It sometimes needs a mass movement, a mass amount of people to turn out to give the Government a kick up the arse.”

The NFU told members on Wednesday: “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.”

In response, Mr Bailye and four other high-profile farmers applied for permission from the Metropolitan Police for a protest on the same day.

“The NFU are not rolling themselves in glitter at the moment over this,” he said. “Everyone’s kind of asking what the hell they are doing. There’s a whole feeling in agriculture between farmers that they’re missing any kind of leadership.”

Mr Bailye and his fellow organisers are hoping to see more than 10,000 people attend their protest, and expect high-profile speakers to be there.

Farmers are not being encouraged to bring their tractors to London for the protest, he said, adding: “We might have some tractors there, but the idea is not to bring the city to a halt.”

Organisers are asking those who are planning to travel for the protest to register their interest in response to a police request for the potential number of attendees.

Mr Bailye hopes the protest will attract people of all ages from the farming community, and the broader rural economy, and said: “This is beyond just farmers. Anybody from the rural communities worried about the effects on rural economies, rural businesses, even people like road hauliers are upset.”

The route has not been finalised, but could see protesters travel from Trafalgar Square to Westminster, where speeches would be held.

Meanwhile Clarkson, the 64-year-old owner of Diddly Squat Farm, questioned why demonstrations by Just Stop Oil and pro-Palestinian activists with far greater numbers had been allowed to go ahead.

In an interview with The Sun, he said he had booked a coach to London to protest alongside farmers from the Cotswolds, but had now been forced to shelve his plans.

He added: “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.”