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Alan Titchmarsh defended Jeremy Clarkson over Labour's inheritance tax changes (Image: Getty)
Alan Titchmarsh has come to the defence of Jeremy Clarkson, highlighting the financial struggles faced by farmers and stating they need "more fighters" than other sectors.
In a December interview with the Off Air with Jane and Fi Times podcast, Alan praised 64-year-old Jeremy's efforts in farming.
The renowned gardener, 75, used the example of the car enthusiast turned farmer to illustrate the dire financial circumstances many farmers face as they resist changes to inheritance laws introduced by the Labour government.
He stated: "I think when you've worked a piece of earth for that long and it hasn't provided you with the kind of income that you get in IT, it really doesn't, look at Jeremy Clarkson and Clarkson's Farm, that first year what did he earn? £140."
He continued: "And that's across the board it's very difficult and I will stand up and fight for farmers every bit as much as I would fight for anybody else who's earning a living. They need more fighters in that area than they do in the area of technology which has got its own flywheel and dynamic effect moving forward."
Jeremy Clarkson has an unlikely ally in his battle with Labour (Image: Getty)
Besides defending an unlikely ally, Alan also criticised the proliferation of solar panels in rural areas, arguing they take up space where food could be grown.
He declared: "It's down to us as a nation to value our farmers and growers and to value food production and the effect it has on our landscape," reports LancashireLive.
"If we're not careful, in 50 years time, all the fields that are capable of growing really good food will just be covered in solar panels and I don't want to be here then.
"Solar panels are useful for creating energy but in areas where for instance you can't grow food. Solar panels are for places I would argue that can't otherwise sustain our life," Alan remarked, expressing his concerns over the encroachment of technology on fertile farmland.
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Alan also shared his belief that there is a "pretty fundamental disconnect between us as a nation and the countryside because the vast majority of people live in towns and cities".
His outspoken comments came amid ongoing frictions with the Labour government last year, as farmers struggled under new economic pressures. The Autumn Budget dropped a bombshell on the agricultural community; from April 2026, inheritance tax would hit farmers, stirring the pot of contention that had been bubbling since late 2024.
Despite protestations as 2025 unfolds, fears mount over potential ramifications even before the policy takes effect, the BBC has highlighted.
Addressing the contentious issue, Labour MP Steve Witherden urged his government to reconsider its stance, recounting a harrowing exchange with a farmer who purportedly confessed: "If only I could die now, if only there were some sort of pill I could take now, so that my children won't have to worry about this."
English (US) ·