Jeremy Clarkson has sparked a fresh debate about the pressures facing British agriculture after delivering a blunt response to a social media user who blamed Brexit for the struggles of UK farmers.
The exchange followed a video Clarkson recorded in support of the farming advocacy campaign No Farmers, No Food, in which he called on the next government to put farming higher up the political agenda.
In the video, filmed on his phone, Clarkson said he wanted to see ministers prioritise agriculture and address what he described as a contradiction in policy. “We’ve been asked to diversify,” he said, “and when we try to do that, the local authorities tell us we can’t – and that needs addressing.”
The comments prompted a flurry of responses on X, formerly Twitter. One user suggested Clarkson should align himself with Reform UK to act as an intermediary between farmers and policymakers. Another took a very different view, arguing that Brexit was at the root of the sector’s problems, claiming that farms had lost EU subsidies and that it had become cheaper for retailers to source food from the continent.
Clarkson responded curtly to that claim, replying: “Oh dear. You don’t seem to have grasp of reality.”
The remark triggered a wider discussion among users about the future of farming, food security and rural policy in Britain. Several commentators urged greater support for domestic producers, with some even calling for Clarkson to take on a formal political role. Messages ranged from appeals to “always buy local” to tongue-in-cheek suggestions that the television presenter should be appointed agriculture minister.
Others echoed Clarkson’s frustration with the planning system, highlighting what they see as a double bind for farmers who are encouraged to diversify their businesses but then blocked by planning rules from doing so. Questions were also raised about land use, with some users asking why farmers face restrictions on what they can grow or build on land they own.
The No Farmers, No Food campaign was founded by James Melville, who grew up on a family farm in Scotland. The account is run collectively by farmers across the UK and regularly features contributions from high-profile figures speaking out on agricultural issues.
Clarkson, who has become a prominent voice on farming through his work on Clarkson’s Farm, has repeatedly argued that the sector is being squeezed by rising costs, restrictive regulation and policy decisions that fail to reflect the realities of running a farm. His latest intervention underlines how emotive – and politically charged – the future of British agriculture has become.