A former Labour adviser has provoked outrage by suggesting the government "can do to farmers what Margaret Thatcher did to the miners".

John McTernan, who has been a supporter of Sir Keir Starmer, said farming is an industry the UK "could do without"

Tony Blair's former political secretary was called ‘heartless' last night after going on an anti-farmer rant in defence of Rachel Reeves' tax hike.

PM ‘totally disagrees’ with ex-Blair aide’s claim UK does not need small farmers - Former political adviser John McTernan said the Government should ‘do what Margaret Thatcher did to the miners’ to protesting farmers.

Credit: GBNews A former aide to Sir Tony Blair has called on Labour to “do to the farmers what Thatcher did to the miners”. John McTernan, Sir Tony’s political secretary, told the Chancellor not to budge on her inheritance tax raid on agricultural land,