JEREMY Clarkson has accused Keir Starmer of “actively hating” businesses and having fun.
The TV star, 65, warned Labour’s punitive tax measures are destroying the hospitality business and pointed to the “terrible” situation at his own pub.
Jezza – who owns The Farmer’s Dog in the Cotswolds – says his wage bill has risen by £42,000 since Rachel Reeves’ disastrous Budget.
On top of this, he says the pub’s rateable value – the figure used to calculate business rates – could double from £27,500 to £55,000.
And The Sun columnist claims the “dire” situation in the hospitality sector is down to the Prime Minister’s “hatred” for business.
Writing in the Sunday Times, the Clarkson’s Farm star accused Keir Starmer of being “unaware of what is going on in the country”.
He added: “A lot of people think the problem is that neither Starmer nor his frontbench comrades have any experience of running a business…
“But the problem is much bigger than that. It’s not that they don’t understand business; they actively hate it.”
Outraged landlords across the UK have threatened to strike in protest at the punishing taxes they fear will force many boozers to close.
In October, Rachel Reeves announced a hike in business rates – after properties were up for re-evaluation and Covid-style relief was taken away.
The move prompted more than 1,000 landlords to ban Labour MPs from their premises.
Landlords and pub chiefs have also been planning a “day of action” to highlight a show of strength against the Budget move.
But Jeremy suggests the punitive measures against pubs goes deeper than the Government’s “hatred” of businesses.
He also accused Sir Keir of being anti-fun and admitted it would be hard to imagine the Prime Minister on a “boozy night out”.
Jezza continued: “The problem is made worse by the man at the helm: Starmer.
“You could try to explain to him that pubs are a British tradition, but he doesn’t like that sort of thing.
“Socialists don’t do fun… he doesn’t understand what a pub is or what we will lose when his punitive politics of envy shuts them all down.”
The former Top Gear host went on to claim “ruining” business owners was what made the Labour Government “tick”.
Hospitality has been hit also by increases to the minimum wage, national insurance contributions and high energy costs.
Venues are seeing their bills potentially set to rise by more than a 100 per cent in the coming years.
But The Sun understands the Chancellor is preparing a major U-turn on business rates for pubs within days.
Rachel Reeves is poised to offer a financial lifeline to boozers by making changes to the way the tax grab is calculated.
Sir Keir Starmer in recent days has opened the door to watering down the business rates hike after immense pressure.
Changes to licencing rules could also be on the cards as part of the latest shake-up.
Kemi Badenoch blasted the proposed about-turn as “too little too late”.
The Tory leader said: “Keir Starmer told us Labour had ‘turned a corner.’
“Well, it looks like they’re turned the corner straight into their first U-turn of 2026.
“Labour are killing Britain’s pubs. This rumoured U-turn is too little too late. It’s time to back our local pubs.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage warned it would sound the “death knell for country pubs across Britain”.
But the help for pubs currently doesn’t appear to be extended to other industries affected – creating a further headache in Whitehall.
It would be seen as hugely embarrassing for the government after a series of climbdowns on winter fuel payments and the family farm tax.
Jeremy was instrumental in helping the farming community carry out 14 months of enraged protests – with demonstrations in Westminster.
Furious agricultural workers took to London in their thousands, brandishing signs including “Keir Starmer farmer harmer”.
Official data shows more than 6,200 farms shut after Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled the plan in 2024.
It eventually led to a government U-turn before Christmas on inheritance tax on agricultural properties.
The PM quietly announced that the threshold at which the levy applies will rise from £1m to £2.5m.
But Jeremy warned it was not enough, arguing half of farmers would still be hit because of the “muddle-headed nonsense”.
He insisted: “A battle has been won. But the fight goes on.
“The new higher tax threshold will still destroy the countryside. It’ll affect the country’s ability to feed itself.
“There are still thousands of farmers who are having to deal with the stress of knowing they cannot pass their farm on to the only people who know how to run it.”
