Clarkson leaves to applause, While the man from the ministry has a day to forget

It was a very civilised protest. The sort you might expect from roughly 10,000 asset-rich, cash-poor millionaire farmers from all over the country.

- John Grace

The police oflicers there just to redirect the traffic. Only the occasional shouted slogans to punctuate proceedings; most people were just happy to be there. "What do we want?"

"To not pay inheritance tax on our farms." It had a ring. Whitehall has probably never seen so much tweed. Nigel Farage was out there looking like Mr Toad. Flat cap, pristine Barbour jacket, mustard trousers and green wellies. Someone might have told him the streets had been tarmacked a while back. There again, Nige is always willing to piggyback on other people's grievances. Perhaps he might iirst like to explain why Brexit has hit farmers so hard. The guest of honour was the celebrity farmer Jeremy Clarkson.