Oxfordshire's Jeremy Clarkson urges government to back down on inheritance tax changes for farmers
Farmers from Oxfordshire and across the country protested the changes in Westminster
Jeremy Clarkson spoke at the Farmers Protest at changes to their inheritance tax in London.
Addressing the farmers' protest in Westminster, TV presenter and Oxfordshire farmer Jeremy Clarkson said he had come to understand about farming how "unbelievably difficult it is, and dangerous, and cold".
Farmers faced costs, pressure from environmentalists and regulations, and "we have all these complications and costs, and there's very little money in it as you know - and then we got the Budget", he said, to boos from the crowd.
"I know a lot of people across the country in all walks of life took a bit of a kick on the shin with that Budget. You lot got a knee in the nuts and a hammer blow to the back of the head."
He added: "For the sake of everybody here, and for all the farmers stuck at home paralysed by a fog of despair over what's been foisted on them, I beg of the Government to be big and accept this was rushed through, it wasn't thought out and it was a mistake.
"That's the big thing to do, and back down."
Sir Keir Starmer declined to say whether Jeremy Clarkson had spread misinformation by claiming 96% of farmers will be affected by inheritance tax changes.
"I'm not going to get into the business of commenting on what Jeremy Clarkson says," the Prime Minister told a press conference when asked if the TV presenter had spread misinformation.
"I think the facts speak for themselves.
"As I've said on a number of occasions, for a typical family wanting to pass on through the family which is... completely understood, then with all the allowances in place, if they pass onto a child it's a £3 million threshold.
"All of you can check out what that means in terms of the impact, I think the BBC has already done it.
"But it means that the vast majority of farms are unaffected by this."
In response to calls for Rachel Reeves to meet farmers, Downing Street insisted the Treasury had been in contact with them about the inheritance tax changes.
A No 10 spokeswoman said: "As I understand, the Treasury has had engagement with the NFU. Meetings are otherwise for the Chancellor and her team to set out.
"For the PM's part, he met with the NFU, I think, in Downing Street in his early weeks in office and regularly engages with all sectors."
Environment Secretary Steve Reed met the NFU's president on Monday night and will address the Country Land and Business Association on Thursday, the spokeswoman added.