Jeremy Clarkson slams Keir Starmer as ‘hopeless’ after banning every Labour MP from pub

Jeremy Clarkson is no stranger to banning people from his pub at this point.

The motoring journalist turned farmer barred his former Top Gear co-star James May from entering The Farmer’s Dog, as well as a woman who requested Tabasco in her Bloody Mary.

However, arguably the most famous person who can’t get a pint at Jeremy’s bar is Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Now, though, the 65-year-old has just barred 403 individuals from his ale house and restaurant.

‘To be clear, I have banned all Labour MPs from my pub,’ the presenter told The Sun.

Jeremy claimed that rising taxes were the reason behind the ban.

‘Our annual business rates have gone up astronomically from something like £28,000 to well over £50,000. It is a disgrace,’ he said.

The TV star didn’t have kind words for the Labour party in his latest Times column too, addressing both Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham.

‘Firstly, I wanted to say that not all of Britain is falling to pieces. And secondly, I wanted the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, to feel like he’s getting somewhere and that it’s much better for him to keep going up there than come down to London and take over from that hopeless idiot, Starmer,’ he wrote.

‘I want Labour gone, not boosted by a leader who seems to know what he’s doing.’

This isn’t the first time Jeremy has complained about the financial difficulties his pub has been facing.

Writing in his column, he said: ‘It’s galling to see how much effort is required to make so little money on the farm.

‘It’s worse at the pub. The customers are coming. There’s no problem there. But turning their visits into a profit is nigh-on impossible.’

However, Jeremt has made one exception to his sweeping ban.

On X, Jeremy posted that the Member of Parliament for Penrith and Solway, Markus Campbell Savours, was ‘welcome any time’ before joking, ‘and not just because the Labour Party has now sacked him.’

Markus recently voted against the government’s plans to change the tax rules around inherited farmland from April next year, which is presumably why he’s not been barred.

Jeremy is just one of a number of pub landlords barring Labour MPs from their premises.

It’s all part of a campaign – called Taxed Out – protesting rising business rates in the hospitality sector.

As part of the campaign, pubs have been encouraged to put up posters and use beermats with the slogan ‘No Labour MPs’ on them.

On the Taxed Out website, organisers claim that since the 2024 budget, 89,000 jobs have been lost in the hospitality sector.

‘Hospitality businesses are reporting jobs being lost, hours cut, investment cancelled, and businesses closing,’ their website reads.

They go on to say that the burden of tax on them is unfair, claiming that even before the Budget, hospitality was paying the most tax of any sector in the economy.

In a statement also shared with Metro, the PM’s spokesperson said the Chancellor had delivered a £4.3billion support package for pubs, restaurants, and cafes because hospitality is a ‘vital part of our economy’.

The spokesperson continued: ‘Without this intervention, pubs would have faced a 45% rise in bills next year. We’ve cut that down to just 4%.

‘We’ve also maintained the draught beer duty cut, eased licens[ing] rules over pavement drinks and events, and capped corporation tax.

‘These measures show we’re backing hospitality not abandoning it.’

While it’s not clear if Jeremy is part of the Taxed Out campaign, he has been a vocal critic of Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves.

During the final episode of Clarkson’s Farm season four, the Chancellor’s image briefly flashed on screen while Jeremy was criticising her incoming inheritance tax rules.

Clarkson has claimed that these new rules put the future of farming and food security in the UK at risk.

Metro has approached Jeremy Clarkson, Markus Campbell-Savours, and the Labour Party for comment.

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