The BBC has been caught in the crossfire as Jeremy Clarkson marched in Westminster against UK government plans to introduce an inheritance tax on farms.
The Amazon Prime Video star was interviewed by BBC Newsnight host Victoria Derbyshire during the protest, taking issue with her line of questioning.
Clarkson bristled when Derbyshire asked whether his protest was motivated by “the fact that you bought a farm to avoid inheritance tax.”
The presenter told Derbyshire her inquiry was “classic BBC” and chided her when she asked follow-up questions about the government using the tax to distribute wealth and raise money for public services.
“Are you listening to this?” Clarkson asked, turning to other protesters. “You hear that everyone. BBC thinks you should be paying for everything,” he added.
During a later appearance on stage at the protest, Clarkson argued that the BBC was parroting government rhetoric. “Since when was the BBC the mouthpiece for this infernal government?” he asked.
Derbyshire’s question was a reference to a comment Clarkson made in The Times of London in 2009, when he revealed the reasons for purchasing Diddly Squat Farm, home to his Prime Video series.
“Land is a better investment than any bank can offer. The government doesn’t get any of my money when I die,” he wrote.
Clarkson’s rift with the BBC dates back to his ouster from Top Gear in 2015 after the presenter physically attacked a producer on the motoring show. Since then, Clarkson has said he does not trust BBC News and attacked the broadcaster for its politically correct “nonsense.”
As Deadline reported this morning, Clarkson was trailed by Prime Video cameras as he attended the farmer protest on Tuesday. Production on Season 5 of Clarkson’s Farm is underway.
