Jeremy Clarkson reveals ‘dream’ to start second pub and why Piddington might be the ideal location for it

Jeremy Clarkson has revealed plans to set up a new pub abroad during a surprise appearance at the Conservative Party conference.

The former Top Gear presenter swiped at Labour’s controversial inheritance tax reforms during the speech, saying his decision to branch outside of Britain is much down to the Government’s reforms.

He was asked by Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins onstage in Birmingham whether he would consider opening a pub in her constituency, Louth and Horncastle, in Lincolnshire.

The 66-year-old said: “It’s funny you should say that. I’m looking quite hard into the possibility of opening another pub.

“But I can give you all a piece of information right now, it’s not going to be in the UK.”

Fellow Clarkson’s Farm star Charlie Ireland, who joined him in Birmingham, asked whether this decision signals an intent to move abroad.

“No. I’m not leaving”, Mr Clarkson responded, adding: “Why would anybody set up a business in this country right now?”

He continued: “You go and find a country where you go, ‘that’s a good one, that will employ people and that will be good for farming and what have you’.

“We’ll see if we can do it abroad somewhere.”

He added: “I probably won’t. But I’m dreaming of it.”

Clarkson joked that setting up shop in Piddington could be a possibility, given that the area is now ‘abroad’ – a reference to the Oxfordshire village’s symbolic independence referendum last month, held in protest against Government plans to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers nearby.

The local parish council organised the referendum, with 312 votes cast. Of those, 285 were in favour of leaving.

The result was rounded off by 26 votes to remain part of Britain, while one ballot was spoiled.

Despite the show of mutiny, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy confirmed the Government would not reconsider its proposal to house migrants in the area.

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Announcing the result, parish council vice-chair Susannah Parden said: “We are Piddington, the village that roars.”

Parish council chair Tim McNally added: “This is an example of democracy in operation.

“We went into this village hall as the underdogs – we had a plucky idea. We have given a message to the world.”

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he understood the village’s “strength of feeling”, but stressed the need for fairness across the country.

“The only thing to do is to get the numbers down, the number of crossings down,” he said.

“And they are significantly down. They are now at a seven-year low.

“We also made a commitment to people to end the use of hotels to house refugees and asylum seekers, and that commitment needs to be honoured, and I think the vast majority of people say, ‘Yeah, that really does need to proceed.’”

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