Mapped: Reform UK’s Anti-Green Network

Nigel Farage's Reform UK positions itself as a grassroots movement challenging the traditional British political system.

The anti-immigration party, which secured five seats in the general election last July, is currently hosting its annual conference in Birmingham this week. They criticize efforts to combat climate change, claiming that these initiatives are expensive burdens imposed by "elites" on everyday citizens.

However, an examination by DeSmog shows that Reform UK is backed by a strong network of affluent individuals and financially robust think tanks. Many of these entities have ties to fossil fuel interests and have previously shown skepticism towards climate science.

Campaigns aimed at abandoning the concept of "net zero" advocate for ramping up fossil fuel production, which includes the development of new coal mines, and have raised skepticism about the validity of climate science.

It’s part of a coordinated populist movement in Europe and the U.S. that has sought to transform climate action into a divisive issue, creating a rift among voters in recent years.

On September 13, Farage was the main speaker at a fundraising event in Chicago for the Heartland Institute, an organization known for opposing the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change. During the event, he advocated for increased fossil fuel extraction in the U.S. with the slogan “drill baby drill.”

In the recent general election, Reform garnered 14.3 percent of the votes and has expressed its ambition to emerge as the primary opposition party to the Labour government in the UK.

Today's research and interactive map present, for the first time, an overview of the political framework backing Reform's efforts against climate action.

Georgie Laming, the campaign director for the anti-fascist organization HOPE not hate, commented on the investigation in a conversation with DeSmog. She stated, "Similar to several far-right groups in the West, Reform UK relies on backing from the fossil fuel sector and individuals who deny climate change, rather than supporting the working-class individuals they purport to advocate for."

"Climate change presents the most significant danger to the planet, yet Farage and his party prioritize the demands of their financial backers over the needs of their constituents."

Selwin Hart, who serves as the assistant secretary-general of the UN, has expressed concern that efforts to cut emissions are being obstructed by a dominant message promoted by the fossil fuel industry and its supporters—that taking action on climate change is too challenging and too costly.

Reform UK previously stated to DeSmog: "Climate change is a reality, and we believe that instead of naively trying to halt it, we should focus on adapting to it. We take pride in being the only party that recognizes that economic growth relies on affordable homegrown energy. Moreover, we are the sole party that acknowledges the realities of climate science, understanding that we cannot control the forces of nature like the sun, volcanic activity, or fluctuations in sea levels."

Fossil Fuel Backers And Climate Denial Funders

In June, DeSmog disclosed that Reform had taken in £2.3 million from fossil fuel companies, polluters, and those who deny climate change from the time of the 2019 general election until the beginning of the 2024 campaign. This funding made up a staggering 92 percent of the party's total financial support during that time.

This involved £200,000 from First Corporate Consultants, a company owned by Terence Mordaunt. He is a former director and chair of the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF), which is the UK's top organization challenging climate science.

The GWPF has previously stated that carbon dioxide has been wrongly labeled as a pollutant, asserting instead that it actually contributes positively to the planet. Mordaunt also mentioned to openDemocracy in 2019 that “no one has yet demonstrated that CO2 is responsible” for climate change.

The leading authority on climate science, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has indicated that carbon dioxide is the primary driver behind the majority of global warming since the late 1800s. This rise in temperature has intensified the occurrence and seriousness of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and droughts.

Reform has also acquired over £500,000 from Jeremy Hosking. His investment company, Hosking Partners, had over $134 million (approximately £108 million) invested in the energy sector by the end of 2021. Around two-thirds of that amount was focused on the oil industry, alongside significant investments in coal and gas.

Hosking had earlier mentioned to DeSmog: “I don’t personally hold millions in fossil fuel investments; the advantage of these investments goes to the clients of Hosking Partners.”

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Hosking and Mordaunt, who used to be donors for the Conservative party, represent a growing pattern seen among leading figures and supporters of the Reform party.

Reform has secured significant financial support from several prominent members of the Conservative Party. Among its supporters, twelve individuals have previously contributed to Conservative campaigns or causes. These include Richard Tice, Jeremy Hosking, Christopher Harborne, David Lilley, Terence Mordaunt, Zia Yusuf, George Farmer, Richard Smith, Fitriani Hay, Holly Valance, Robin Birley, Andrew Perloff, and Crispin Odey.

This includes Zia Yusuf, who continued to be a paying member of the Tory party as of August this year, even after he took on the role of chairman for Reform in July and made a donation of £200,000 to the party in June.

Three of the five Members of Parliament from Reform previously belonged to the Conservative Party: Nigel Farage, Richard Tice, and Lee Anderson.

Farage left the Conservative Party in 1992 and helped establish the UK Independence Party (UKIP) the next year. Tice has mentioned that he remained a Conservative supporter and contributor until April 2019, when he and Farage launched the Brexit Party, which eventually evolved into Reform. Anderson served as a Conservative MP until February of this year, when he was suspended for stating that Islamists had a significant influence over London Mayor Sadiq Khan; he switched to Reform in March.

David Bull and Ben Habib, both ex-deputy leaders of the Reform party and candidates in July's general election, used to be members of the Conservative Party. Also from the Conservative background is Howard Cox, a lobbyist against fuel taxes and a skeptic of climate science. He ran as a Reform candidate in both the general election and the London Mayoral election this past May.

Wealthy individuals who own newspapers and television networks also provide a strong platform for reform.

Notably, the party has gained increased visibility through GB News, a conservative media outlet that began broadcasting in June 2021.

Nigel Farage hosts a television program on GB News, having become part of the network shortly after it started broadcasting. Additionally, Richard Tice, a Reform MP and the party's deputy leader, runs his own show on the channel, as does fellow Reform MP Lee Anderson.

In August, Farage reported earnings of £81,607 from GB News, stating that this amount represented several months' worth of pay, despite having earlier reported a monthly income of £97,928 from the same network. According to his interest declaration, Anderson earns an annual salary of £100,000 from GB News. Tice has not yet disclosed his salary from the broadcaster.

Last year, an investigation by DeSmog uncovered that one out of every three hosts on GB News had shared messages denying climate science in 2022, with almost half criticizing net-zero initiatives. In May, DeSmog reported that individuals linked to the GWPF had made 36 appearances on GB News within the prior seven months.

Howard Cox, a reform candidate, writes columns for the GB News website and often appears as a guest on the channel. Ben Habib, who previously served as the deputy leader, is also a regular presence on the network.

GB News is backed by Paul Marshall, a wealthy hedge fund manager, along with the Legatum Group, an investment company located in Dubai, UAE. Marshall, who also owns the conservative commentary website Unherd, recently acquired The Spectator magazine for £100 million.

According to findings from DeSmog, Marshall Wace, the hedge fund managed by Marshall, had £1.8 billion invested in companies involved in fossil fuels as of June 2023. This portfolio included significant stakes in major oil and gas companies like Chevron, Shell, and Equinor.

One of the main investors in Marshall Wace, the American private equity company KKR, has a significant investment in fossil fuels, holding 188 assets across oil, gas, and coal.

Marshall is negotiating to acquire The Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers, which would expand his collection of media outlets that have anti-environmental positions.

Farage receives a monthly salary of £4,000 for contributing a column to The Telegraph, a role he has held since at least 2016. In July 2023, he was brought on board as a columnist and analyst for the U.S. edition of the conservative Daily Express newspaper.

Reform has also gained backing from Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate.

In 2017, soon after Donald Trump took office as President, Nigel Farage was brought on by Murdoch's Fox News to work as a political commentator. He has continued to make appearances on the network, most recently in August. However, he has not reported any earnings from Fox while serving as a Member of Parliament.

At least three politicians from the Reform party have also worked in paid positions at Talk TV, a competitor to GB News that is owned by News UK, which is part of the Murdoch media empire.

Richard Tice served as a host on Talk TV from April 2022 until September 2023, after which he moved to GB News to work alongside Nigel Farage. His partner, journalist Isabel Oakeshott, who openly supports Reform policies, is the international editor at Talk TV, a position she took up in April 2022. Before that, she had hosted programs on GB News. Both Tice and Oakeshott contribute opinion pieces to The Telegraph.

David Bull served as Reform's deputy leader from 2021 to 2023 and ran as a Reform candidate in the general election in July. Since 2022, he has also been a presenter on Talk TV. Howard Cox and Ben Habib often appear as guests on the channel.

Cox frequently contributes articles to The Sun, a newspaper that is part of News UK.

"The fossil fuel sector is not only damaging our environment, but it's also tainting our media and political landscape," stated Richard Wilson, the director of the Stop Funding Heat campaign.

Wealthy oil and gas magnates have a longstanding pattern of backing organizations that assert they are fighting for the average citizen against the so-called 'elites.' However, their actions often push for initiatives that favor the wealthy and influential, putting the rest of us in jeopardy.

Reform is connected to a prominent network of think tanks located at 55 Tufton Street in Westminster, London. These organizations advocate for fewer government regulations and have a history of resisting efforts to address climate change.

Philanthropist Richard Smith is the owner of 55 Tufton Street, the site where the GWPF is located.

This week’s Reform annual conference in Birmingham includes a session focusing on the concept of the 'Nanny State.' The event is organized by the Adam Smith Institute (ASI) and includes prominent members from other Tufton Street organizations, such as the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA).

The right-leaning think tank Policy Exchange is kicking off its ‘Future of the Right’ initiative at Reform’s conference. The event will include appearances by Reform MP Rupert Lowe, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, known for his opposition to climate science, and Lord Charles Moore, a former trustee of the Global Warming Policy Foundation.

Paul Marshall, the leader of GB News and Spectator, contributed £890,000 through his charity Sequoia Trust to Policy Exchange from 2020 to 2023. This think tank, which has previously received funding from the oil and gas giant ExxonMobil, was acknowledged by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for its role in formulating legislation aimed at curbing climate protests.

Marshall has contributed £1 million to the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship, a conservative advocacy group headed by psychologist and writer Jordan Peterson, which has strong connections to climate science skepticism.

In July, Farage sat down for an interview with Peterson on the Canadian author's YouTube channel. Peterson criticized what he called the foolish fear-mongering around climate change, which he believed was being exploited by power-hungry leaders to intimidate the public. He went on to assert that carbon dioxide emissions actually bring overall benefits to the Earth. Farage backed this up by saying that the UK’s climate policies have shifted significant wealth from the less fortunate to the wealthy. He also proposed that global warming is influenced by natural factors like sunspots and underwater volcanic activity.

Authors involved with the IPCC have stated, "It's a clear fact; there's no room for doubt. It is beyond question that human activities are causing the planet to warm."

Populism In America And Europe

Reform also maintains several friendly connections with far-right organizations in other countries.

Last week, Farage addressed a fundraising event for the Heartland Institute, an organization known for rejecting climate change. Between 1998 and 2007, this group received over $676,000 from the American oil giant ExxonMobil.

Heartland has also secured substantial donations, amounting to tens of thousands, from foundations associated with the owners of Koch Industries, a major American fossil fuel company known for its significant role in supporting efforts that deny climate change science.

On July 18, Farage showed up at the Republican National Convention, expressing his desire to back his friend Donald Trump. The leader of the Reform party had previously campaigned for Trump in both 2016 and 2020. Recently, in an interview with X owner Elon Musk, Trump mistakenly stated that increasing sea levels would lead to an abundance of "oceanfront property."

Farage received £13,000 for delivering a speech at the ‘Keep Arizona Free Summit’ on August 24, a libertarian gathering organized by the AZ Liberty Network. Earlier in February, he also spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), a right-leaning event in the U.S. associated with the Republican Party.

In March, Farage hosted a segment on his GB News program where he spoke with Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation. This organization is responsible for Project 2025, an ambitious plan aimed at a second Trump presidency. Additionally, Farage addressed this same group in 2015, discussing the possibility of a referendum in the UK regarding its membership in the EU.

Project 2025 aims to reverse the advancements made by the Biden administration in tackling climate change. It proposes to eliminate regulations on fossil fuel extraction, cut funding for renewable energy initiatives at the state level, and significantly reduce the powers of the Environmental Protection Agency. Between 1997 and 2017, Heritage received more than £4.9 million from organizations associated with Koch Industries.

According to a report by DeSmog, organizations involved in Project 2025 have been funded with a minimum of $9.6 million from Charles Koch since 2020, and have also received no less than $21.5 million from the Sarah Scaife Foundation, which is backed by the wealth from the Mellon family’s oil and banking industries.

Farage is also connected to far-right political parties and lobbying organizations across Europe.

In April, Farage addressed a National Conservatism (NatCon) conference in Brussels, where he shared the stage with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. As DeSmog highlighted then, the gathering was jointly organized by the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), a think tank in Hungary led by Orban’s political director and financially backed by a 10 percent ownership interest in MOL, Hungary’s major oil and gas company.

NatCon events have featured Trump supporters like Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon, as well as Conservative MP and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who has advocated for postponing net zero goals.

During the Heartland event last week, Farage shared the stage with Harald Vilimsky, a Member of the European Parliament representing Austria's far-right Freedom Party, who heads their delegation in the European Parliament.

In 2017, Farage showed his support for Marine Le Pen, a far-right candidate, during the French presidential elections. That same year, he also delivered a speech at a campaign event for Germany's far-right party, Alternative for Deutschland (AfD).

Farage has frequently expressed his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him a skilled political strategist. He has also suggested that the UK should collaborate with Russia to find a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. Additionally, as noted by DeSmog in June, a significant donor to Reform, David Lilley, contributed £100,000 to the party before the general election and owns 12,000 hectares of agricultural land in Russia's Stavropol region.

Lilley has already informed DeSmog that he continues to possess this property, stating, “I’ve always been open about my holdings in Russia.” He mentioned that he hasn't earned any income from these assets since February 2022 and that the Russian government has blocked him from selling them.