Far-right groups are seeking to hijack a farmers’ protest in London against tax changes introduced by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves.
Extremists, including close associates of Tommy Robinson, have been using social media to urge supporters to turn up at the protest on Tuesday, as farming leaders sought to remind those attending of their responsibilities.
The event is being eyed as a major opportunity for exploitation by the far right, who are seeking to promote Jeremy Clarkson as a hero after he claimed the UK government had a “sinister plan” to “ethnically cleanse” farming communities.
The former presenter has become a meme on far-right social media accounts as activists and extremist influencers applauded his comments. Nick Griffin, the former leader of the British National party, posted a picture of himself in the broadcaster’s Oxfordshire pub.
“Jeremy Clarkson nails it,” said Griffin, as he shared Clarkson’s comments.
I’m amazed that Clarkson has managed to paint the landowning class as salt of the earth workers who are just trying to get by. The fact that you have people who would never be affected by this tax arguing on the side of these people with massive property and assets portfolios is just wild to me.
Clarkson was pretty open at the time that his farm purchase was for inheritance tax avoidance as well.