Jeremy Clarkson has branded Oxfordshire County Council "swivel-eyed communists and drippy hippies" after its move to ban meat and serve only vegan food at events.
The celebrity owner of Diddly Squat Farm in Chadlington, near Chipping Norton, attacked the council's ruling group and defended the county's farmers in an opinion piece in The Sun newspaper.
The presenter, whose Amazon Prime Video show Clarkson's Farm has become a huge hit, highlighted farmers' concerns that the council will be flying avocados from Brazil while not eating beef or lamb that’s been reared five miles down the road.
He wrote: "Oxfordshire Council, which is run by an unholy alliance of swivel-eyed communists, drippy hippies and Liberal Democrats, has decided that at all future events, it will only serve vegan food."
He adds: "Others have explained that, thanks to a dramatic drop in grants and subsidies, farmers are in dire straits at the moment and the last thing they need is a kick in the teeth from their local council."
Read also: Jeremy Clarkson 'would have been' at Oxfordshire farmers protest on vegan food
This opinion piece comes after farmers campaigned as part of the Oxfordshire Food and Farmers Rally, to ask the council to reconsider the decision. Mr Clarkson wrote on Twitter that he would " have been there like a shot" and added the motion was "Madness. Utter utter madness."
Writing in The Sun, Mr Clarkson says the change to a vegan diet should be a choice and claims the council has "absolutely no clue about farming."
He said: "You and I both know that farmers are the people who maintain the countryside.
"They look after the woods and the dry-stone walls and the public footpaths. Often for no money."
To retaliate, Mr Clarkson suggests farmers "turn up in the car park with a burger van and sell delicious meat from down the road" at council events.
In December, Green Councillor Ian Middleton tabled a motion to ensure that all food provided at Oxfordshire County Council’s events would be ‘entirely plant based’.
Read also: Protest held over Oxfordshire County Council's decision to serve only vegan food
The motion also seeks to see more plant-based menus available on school lunch menus for 'at least two days per week' - it hopes to encourage students to 'be empowered' when making food choices at schools.
In Mr Middleton's motion it states: "This Council recognises that meat and dairy production is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and global deforestation and that reducing consumption of these foods is a key part of tackling climate change and improving health outcomes.
"The Government's independent Climate Change Committee, advises that meat consumption should be reduced by a fifth, and that public bodies should lead the way by promoting plant-based food options. Leading by example on this, and food waste, should be fundamental components of our commitment to cutting carbon emissions."
The motion was passed and is set to go to Cabinet for the final decision in the spring.
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