Jeremy Clarkson has said that “Britain needs food grown in Britain” in a series of tweets calling on the government to prioritise food and farming.
The Clarkson’s Farm star, who farms in Oxfordshire, took to social media with numerous messages asking the government to focus on farming.
“In the next parliament I would like to see the government prioritise farming,” Clarkson said in a Twitter video uploaded on Monday (13 June).
He added: “We’ve been asked to diversify and when we try to do that the local authorities tell us we can’t. That needs addressing.”
I sent this to Number 10 recently. pic.twitter.com/5WHXNwMYIa
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) June 13, 2022
The former Top Gear presenter then posted a series of other messages on the topic of food and farming.
You can live without heat and clothing and even sex. But you cannot live without food. Please support British farming.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) June 13, 2022
What we must understand is that the grants farmers got for growing food are going. And we need food.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) June 13, 2022
The tweets led Prime Minister Boris Johnson to respond, highlighting in a video how this government is ‘backing British farming’ with the new food strategy.
Farmers will be issued more support to bolster domestic food production as part of the long-awaited food strategy, which was unveiled on Monday (13 June).
“I hope very much that you’ve had a chance to have a look at our Food Strategy,” Mr Johnson said in a video, directed at Jeremy Clarkson.
“A lot of that is about backing British farming, backing our own domestic food production, eating more of what we grow here.”
He added: “But what we want to do particularly for farmers – and I know that you care about this a lot – is ensure that we say that when farmers want to develop their property.
“When they want to turn a barn into a bistro or whatever you want to do, that we make sure that computer does not say no, and we help them – help farmers to make the most of their crops and their land as well.”
