Jeremy Clarkson is damaging farmers

[Pippyls67]

He should butt out of the inheritance tax debacle. As Victoria Derbyshire reminded him during the London protests, he admitted in news print, when he bought his farm it was to dodge inheritance tax. Now he’s jumping in the back of farmers who probably won’t in actual fact pay very much ( smaller farms than his) for his own mercenary agenda. Farmers need to distance themselves from him and ban him from public events. He’s muddying their message and making them look bad by association. Ps I understand farmers need their farms intact to pass on but tbh we all need to pass on our wealth. I run a business and it’ll be screwed by inheritance tax to some extent. I don’t like it but you have to get on with it. That’s just the way of things isn’t it. Gotta pay for the NHS, schools and essential services from somewhere. Farms will need to sell assets I get it. Yes the largest farms will shrink in size but you just have to diversify to make up the difference if you want the same level of income. That’s what we do in business. Also it will make (potentially) land available for incomers to the industry. Lack of new blood and chances to enter farming have been an issue for many years. This is partly a consequence of even the largest farms being ‘handed down’ intact.

Of course you can fake an on screen friendship.
The show needs the 'friendship' to work emotionally which is why they had to reshoot the first series with more heart.
Every party involved from the soundman, the production team and the contributors sign a contract to accept money , sometimes just a token pound, to not slag off the show and waive their rights to the Production company.
I'm sure quite a few of the contributors are now on a buy out to work on this show as and when on terms agreed or insisted on.

They've certainly made a really good series that's been a hit overseas as well as here. Well done to them, there's certainly a huge amount of goodwill surrounding it. Hopefully theres no one wanting to 'slag off' the show.

Of course there is, Clarkson is in it. Therefore it must be fake, utter crap and shit.

The fact is the man has made a series that has shown many how tough and for little reward farming can be. Are the guest farmers explaining their issues all faking, if so they are a gifted bunch of actors.

I understand Clarkson is polarising to some, but in Lincolnshire and Kent where I know farmers they've thought the show aims and succeeded in highlighting their every single day and year issues.

Imagine a life's work destroyed because of unavoidable elements like foot and mouth or vagaries of weather.

MN bangs on eternally about carbon footprint whilst gobbling up Peruvian blueberries. Now imagine extending that to potatoes, milk, meat etc.

I loved the show and everyone I know did - seems like some people always want to topple or niggle at folks that do well - sad really - or jealousy who knows

I hated Top Gear, and have loved Clarkson's Farm. Clarkson, for me, speaks robust commonsense, without too much filtering. Of course he is making a programme about his (very highly paid) existence, and he acknowledges that he bought his 1000 acres to use the IHT relief. Wouldn't you, if you had several million in the bank? I would. He doesn't make serious money from the farm, because most farming is not very profitable and you have to spend several £m to even get into the game.

But he has seen a way to monetise it, as TV entertainment. And the people who do depend on agriculture for their livelihood, who provide YOUR food, mostly think he's a bit of a prick but they also believe that he presents the real challenges they face ... weather, local councillors, more weather, wars that are removing a significant % of wheat harvests.

Clarkson is several times smarter than most politicians. Although you may not like him.

@Papyrophile totally agree

That’s the whole point. I think you’ve missed it. People won’t look past Clarkson because he admitted in the press that he DID buy his farm to avoid paying tax. This pisses off people who do in fact pay their taxes. Should farmers align themselves with someone who is pissing off the people from who they are trying to garner support? It’s not a smart move. You don’t want someone front and centre who you need people to ‘look past’.

I fucking hate Clarkson. He’s a vile specimen. I’m. It in the least jealous of him - he represents everything I hold in contempt. Racist, bullying, big headed, tax dodging twat.
I tried to watch the beginning of series 1 because people told me it was good. It was not. He’s an arrogant git and his contempt for Kaleb and everyone else on the farm was obvious.

If you define ‘smart’ as self absorbed cunning, maybe.
He’s now trying to deny he bought the farm as an IHT dodge. He’s vile.

And who exactly

a relatively few people who are are so wrapped up with their dislike for JC they can’t look passed this.

JC is very very popular like it or not his tv shows his newspaper columns what ever he does publicly is of interest

that a few can’t get passed him being involved will not harm the farmers issue

not everyone feels the need to be so decisive I can’t stand the guy but so what I can look beyond that and expect any adult interested in political issues to be able to

I agree with this! Nobody is forcing them to do the job. There are lots of people in this country who work really hard and literally live hand to mouth, never mind make a profit, and at the end of the day, farmers maybe 'land rich, but cash poor', but they CAN sell their land, and be cash rich if that's what they choose to do, and at least they'll not starve, or suffer from malnutrition, like some people in this country. Yes, they provide us with food, BUT if they didn't, someone else would! It's the same old story, to my mind, if you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen!

And generally their farms are worth so much because it includes a lovely farmhouse they live in.

Fair enough. This is true. Hard graft but the pay off is massive - not in cash always - but in enormous perks of the job. They are unlike any other job. The perks all round are beyond most peoples dreams.
Being in nature - which science now shows is one of the greatest sources of happiness. Seeing the family around you so much. Being a property owner ( remember we’re taking about only those affected by IHT in this thread). Being your own boss. Having a house with the job. The likely size of said house and the garden and associated benefits of space. No commuting stress. No wasted time doing said commuting. There are more but these are the ones which I think farmers often just don’t realise the significance of. But then why would they if they’ve never known life without these marvellous things. ( I say marvellous because yes most ordinary folk do indeed marvel at these) Yes it’s hard work but hard work never hurt anybody as they say. And I know all about that trust me! Huge amounts of people work extremely hard. I dare say harder and don’t get this lifestyle. I love farming. It’s in my blood but I’ll never winge and take it for granted. It’s a privilege to be part of it. It’s the best job in the world. Disingenuous to pretend otherwise.

Re reading the above I realise I’ve not given fair emphasis to seeing your family so much. Having access to your kids all day when small - putting them in the tractor cab with you and singing and chatting, showing them the wonders of nature, giving them access to things like whatever pets they want (maybe even keeping a pony), being around so many other animals and letting them run free, play out and breath fresh air. All this is beyond price. It’s truly priceless. Our kids drive us doolally sometimes like all kids do. But oh my God the joy of saying ‘Go run off some steam outside” ! On your own farm when they’re old enough to know any dangers, you can literally throw them out and know they’ll just be out the sheds doing something wholesome or off on their bikes in lovely countryside. I roll my eyes at farmers who complain too much about the ‘hardships’. Most people have hardships. They’re just different for different people. If you’re a farmer whose big enough to be affected by IHT and reading this please just look out your door and see it for what it REALLY is. You’ll be a hell of a lot happier I reckon. It’s bloody wonderful!

Re reading the above I realise I’ve not given fair emphasis to seeing your family so much. Having access to your kids all day when small
Well, yeah, in theory - except that I know a farmer whose wife also works, so their little son is in daycare 4 days a week, and has been since his mum went back to work after he was born... On the fifth day, he is quite often with his granny.

Farmers do not seem to understand that other family businesses are subject to inheritance tax. Why should they be special?

Clarkson and Dyson, the two mouthpieces, previously afmillted that they'd bought farms just to avoid IHT.

No good now that they try to appear as honest workers of the soil...😄

Well, if you want all the productive land in the country to be in the hands of huge multinationals with an eye on this year's bottom line before anything else...

Personally, I don't.

Scaremongering for whom? The business will keep going, just with less people