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Following a week of demonstrations and upheaval from the farming community, Ian Hislop has taken a rather dim view on those protesting the changes to inheritance tax laws – who took a sizeable swipe at Jeremy Clarkson in the process.
The Have I Got News For You panelist shared his thoughts on the political satire show over the weekend, pointing out that the legal changes have been devised to prevent wealthy landowners from purchasing farm holds as a tax dodge.
As announced by Labour, from April 2026, inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1 million – which were previously exempt – will have to pay inheritance tax at 20 per cent. That’s half the usual rate.
However, as Dan Neidle – founder of the independent Tax Policy Associates – points out, like for the rest of the population, there is no inheritance tax to be paid on the value of property up to £325,000, bringing the untaxed total to £1.325 million.
But public figures such as Jeremy Clarkson and Nigel Farage, who will be affected by these changes, have appointed themselves as spokesmen for the farming community, rallying against the measures in Downing Street and ripping into the government.
Ian Hislop, though, has likened their involvement to the behaviour of Marie Antoinette. ‘Let them grow crops’, or something…
“Farmers now have to pay around half the inheritance tax everyone pays, and the limits set by the government are actually pretty high. It’s meant to stop wealthy landowners buying land to avoid taxes. So, who comes to mind? Jeremy Clarkson.”
“He bought his farm in order to avoid paying any tax on it. He’s now become the champion of the small farmer, who is not going to be hit by any of this and will end up worse off for loads of other reasons. It’s like Marie Antoinette turning up at a shepherdess protest.” | Ian Hislop
You can watch a clip of the exchange here:
