Jeremy Clarkson blasts Oxfordshire County Council over vegan menu plan
Jeremy Clarkson blasts Oxfordshire County Council over vegan menu plans: Presenter backs farmers protest against move to BAN meat and dairy from council events and introduce more plant based meals
- Jeremy Clarkson backed a farmers’ rally against a council’s plan for vegan meals
- Oxfordshire Food and Farmers Rally gathered outside council offices yesterday
- Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm appeared in Amazon TV series Clarkson’s Farm
- Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet will consider vegan proposals in spring
Ex-Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has backed a farmers’ rally against a council’s plans to introduce vegan-only meals at its events.
Yesterday, Oxfordshire Food and Farmers Rally gathered outside the offices of Oxfordshire County Council to make their voices heard.
In addition to serving vegan meals, the council also wants to encourage schools to serve vegan offerings twice a week.
The rally occurred on the same day a full council meeting was held, although it is understood the vegan proposals were not on the agenda.
Clarkson, who recently fronted the Amazon TV series Clarkson’s Farm as he attempted to transform his Diddly Squat Farm, said he would have attended the rally ‘like a shot’ if he’d known about it.
Oxfordshire farmers are furious with Oxfordshire County Council’s plans to serve vegan-only food
Clarkson, who recently fronted the Amazon TV series Clarkson’s Farm as he attempted to transform his Diddly Squat Farm, said he would have attended the rally ‘like a shot’ if he’d known about it
He tweeted: ‘Farmers of Oxfordshire. I wish I’d known about your protest today.’
Clarkson went on to say the motion was ‘Madness. Utter utter madness.’
Green Councillor Ian Middleton tabled a motion to ensure that all food provided at Oxfordshire County Council’s events would be ‘entirely plant base’.
The motion also seeks to encourage students to ‘be empowered’ when making food choices at schools.
Farmers held a protest outside Oxfordshire County Council’s offices in Oxford
What are the vegan proposals in Oxfordshire?
The motion is set to go to the cabinet of Oxfordshire County Council in spring.
It ask the council to:
It was passed in the council and is set to go to cabinet for the final decision in the spring.
David Pill, who runs a farm near Wantage, joined the Oxfordshire Food and Farmers Rally in order ‘to give the freedom of choice for the councillors to choose what they eat’.
He said: ‘I think veganism is a choice.
‘We are not telling you to eat meat – of course, that would be wrong – but in the same breath they can’t tell their councillors and everyone that they’ve got to eat a vegan diet.
‘People look up to Oxfordshire County Council, and with this motion in place, it could have a rippling effect later down the line.
‘All of us farmers are worried about the effect this will have on us and that is why we are here today.’
Last month, Clarkson bid a temporarily farewell to his Diddly Squat Farm after the two-month long closure of his farm shop was announced.
Fans were left heartbroken when it was recently announced the shop would be closing its doors to customers throughout January and February, with no reason given.
The estate has been popular with locals and those from further afield, with many rushing to the farm on New Year’s Eve before its eight-week closure.
Regarding yesterday’s protest, Cllr Liz Leffman, the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: ‘This is about councillors taking a stand and saying we want to make out planet more sustainable, we want agriculture to be sustainable and we will source produce locally wherever we can.’
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