Jeremy Clarkson has added his name to a growing list of publicans refusing entry to Labour MPs at their establishments. His Cotswolds pub, The Farmer’s Dog, located near Burford in Asthall Barrow, Oxfordshire, now bars all 404 Labour MPs in a protest against government policies that he says are crippling the hospitality industry.
The ban is part of the “No Labour MPs” campaign, a movement originating in Dorset and quickly spreading nationwide. Over 250 pubs, restaurants, and hotels have joined, aiming to highlight the burden of rising business rates and taxes on local pubs and hospitality businesses.
James Fowler, owner of the Larder House in Bournemouth, was one of the first to implement the ban, warning that pubs are under heavy financial pressure. Following suit, Clarkson extended his restrictions beyond Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer—whom he banned at the pub’s opening last year—to include all Labour MPs, citing recent tax hikes as the catalyst.
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Clarkson, 65, has publicly criticized the steep increase in his business rates, which have surged from approximately £28,000 to over £50,000 annually. He called the rise “a disgrace,” emphasizing the economic strain it places on hospitality venues.
On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Clarkson clarified that all Labour MPs are barred except Markus Campbell Savours, a former Labour Party member. Responding to commentary about farmers’ tax exemptions, Clarkson dismissed the claims, stating farmers don’t pay taxes because they “don’t make any money.”
Despite Chancellor Rachel Reeves introducing permanently reduced tax rates for over 750,000 retail, leisure, and hospitality venues—marking the lowest rates since 1991—UK Hospitality warns that smaller businesses like pubs and cafés are facing a combined increased burden of £318 million over the next three years.
Allen Simpson, CEO of UK Hospitality, addressed MPs directly, highlighting that although the Budget speech implied tax relief for hospitality, the reality is an unprecedented rise disproportionally affecting the sector while protecting online giants and supermarkets. Simpson warned that without intervention, closures, investment pullbacks, and reduced youth employment are imminent—contradicting the Government’s commitment to equalize competition between the high street and digital platforms.
In response, a spokesperson for Sir Keir Starmer pointed to Chancellor Reeves' £4.3 billion support package for pubs, restaurants, and cafes, emphasizing hospitality’s importance to the economy. The support includes a reduction from a potential 45% bill increase to just 4%, continuation of draught beer duty cuts, relaxed licensing rules for outdoor drinking and events, and a corporation tax cap. The spokesperson asserted these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to supporting the hospitality industry, not abandoning it.