Sir Keir Starmer has claimed that the BBC supported him over the inheritance tax raid after Jeremy Clarkson accused the broadcaster of bias.
It comes as more than 10,000 farmers took to the streets of Westminster yesterday to protest the new policy, which will make farms worth over £1million eligible for inheritance tax.
While some Labour MPs from more rural constituencies – such as Andrew MacNae and Steve Witherden – have raised concerns about the plans, others have doubled down in their support.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed said the farmers were “wrong” about the policy, and Minister for Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner has urged farmers to calm down.
Farmers took to Westminster to protest
PA
“I urge people to look calmly at the detail and I think they will find that the vast majority will be fine,” he said.
The Tuesday protest saw some big figures, such as Jeremy Clarkson, Nigel Farage, and Lord Lloyd-Webber turning out to show their support for farmers.
Speaking at the demonstration, Clarkson accused the BBC of biased reporting. He said: “Since when was the BBC the mouthpiece for this infernal Government?”
It comes after the television presenter and farmer had a heated discussion with Newsnight’s Victoria Derbyshire.
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The journalist dismissed Clarkson’s claim that he was at the rally to support farmers: “So it’s not about you, it’s not about your farm and the fact that you bought a farm to avoid inheritance tax?”
Derbyshire went on to say that tax is necessary to fund public services and speaking on the difficulties of getting a GP appointment said: “So where should they get the money from if it’s not from farmers?”
Clarkson branded Derbyshire’s line of questioning as “unbelievable.”
Asked about the protest at a press conference at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer claimed the majority of farmers would not be affected by the policy.
Jeremy Clarkson accused the BBC of bias
PA
He said: “All of you can check out what that means in terms of the impact. I think the BBC has already done it.”
Starmer’s Government claims just 550 farms will be affected per year, however the NFU and Country Land and Business Association estimate numbers to be as high as 70,000.
BBC Verify reported that in the years 2021-22 only 462 inherited farms were worth more than £1million.
The unit also released a video yesterday where they stated that 70,000 farms is an overestimate, and said that the “true share of farms affected going forward is likely to be much closer to the Treasury estimates”.
Starmer’s government says only 550 farms will be affected
PA
The BBC has faced criticism from prominent figures like Shadow Culture Secretary Stuart Andrew, who said: “The job of BBC Verify is to do exactly that but they’ve failed on their own terms.”
He added that the Government was not being transparent about the number of farms affected and only offering out of date statistics.
“The taxpayers pay for the BBC to be independent and free from bias, not for them to regurgitate Labour lines,” he said.
He insisted the matter should be looked into and corrected.
BBC Verify has been scrutinised in the past for alleged “political bias” in its coverage of the Israel-Gaza war.