It's been a terrible year for farming, Jeremy Clarkson tells Tory conference
TV presenter and farmer Jeremy Clarkson addressed the Conservative Party conference, describing the current state of farming as a disaster due to extreme weather and rising costs. He criticized the economic climate for business owners while highlighting the specific challenges faced by family farms.
Why it matters
The speech underscores the growing political tension between the agricultural sector and government fiscal policies, particularly regarding inheritance tax.
Figure caption, Jeremy Clarkson: Farming this year was 'an absolute disaster'
Jeremy Clarkson has said it had been a "terrible" year for farming due to the hot weather, at a surprise appearance at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.
The former Top Gear presenter and star of Clarkson's Farm also said farmers were being "attacked" from every angle by rising costs, but he was optimistic about the future.
He was greeted by loud applause from the Tory faithful, but joked that "a lot of people have come dressed as seats, I notice, around the edges there".
In a question and answer session alongside land agent Charlie Ireland, he also criticised the economic conditions faced by business owners, asking: "Why would anybody set up a business in this country right now?"
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