Hurtling west along the M40 in a Porsche Taycan, an electric battery on wheels that seemingly teleports between zero and 60mph, Bagehot thought: this does feel like a horse that had just had a mustard-covered hot dog shoved up its backside. His destination was Diddly Squat, a farm on the edge of the Cotswolds owned by Jeremy Clarkson, television presenter, near-national treasure and coiner of that evocative equine analogy.

In barely a decade Mr Clarkson has gone from disgraced “Top Gear” presenter, a man who punched an underling for failing to provide a hot dinner, to strangely beloved guardian of the British countryside and yimby (Yes In My Back Yard) icon. This unlikely transformation is due to the success of “Clarkson’s Farm”, a hit Amazon Prime show that begins its third series on May 3rd. In the programme Mr Clarkson struggles to breed pigs, break even and defeat nimbys on the local council.