Jeremy Clarkson has spoken about what he believes is Labour’s declining support among farmers and the growing popularity of Reform UK in rural communities.
The TV presenter and owner of Diddly Squat Farm said he has noticed a major political shift among people working in agriculture, particularly younger farmers. According to Clarkson, Nigel Farage’s party is attracting strong backing from the next generation.
His comments come as wider polling suggests Reform UK is making gains across different groups of voters, with recent surveys indicating the party now enjoys similar support to Labour among trade union members.
Speaking about the trend, Clarkson pointed to his Clarkson’s Farm co-star Kaleb Cooper.
“Kaleb tells me all his friends, every single one of them, are voting Reform,” he said during a radio interview.
Clarkson also claimed that Labour has almost completely lost the support of the farming community.
“I don’t think there’s a single farmer left who’s Labour,” he remarked.
The former Top Gear host was equally critical of the Government’s handling of agriculture, arguing that ministers have done little to help the industry.
“This government is truly useless, we all know that,” he told Times Radio.
He said farmers were not receiving any meaningful support and suggested current policies were making life harder for those trying to earn a living from the land.
“They’re doing nothing for farming. In fact, I’d say they’re actually damaging it,” Clarkson argued.
He added that he could not really speak for everyone’s views beyond his own experiences.
Asked whether the Green Party might appeal to farmers because of its focus on climate issues, sustainability and local food production, Clarkson rejected the suggestion.
He argued that what he described as the party’s “property is theft” outlook clashes with the realities of farming.
“That would make farming pretty difficult,” he joked, adding that while many farmers rent land, he does not see the Greens as particularly supportive of business.
“At the end of the day, farming is still a business,” he said.
Clarkson also criticised the Green Party in his Sunday Times column after it confirmed Sarah Wakefield as its candidate for the Makerfield by-election following Chris Kennedy’s withdrawal.
He claimed the party was helping clear the path for an Andy Burnham and Labour victory by putting forward a candidate who, in his view, was “completely mad” and had a “fully fledged degree in loony leftery.”
