Farage and Truss Attend Launch of US Climate Denial Group in UK
Farage and Truss Attend Launch of US Climate Denial Group in UK.
The British division of Heartland, which has received funding from oil interests and Republican sources, will be headed by former Ukip leader Lois Perry.
Climate science skeptics are mobilizing a political campaign in the United Kingdom following the establishment of a UK branch by a US lobbying organization, which is already collaborating with Nigel Farage.
The leader of Reform UK was the distinguished guest at the inauguration of Heartland UK/Europe, which will be led by a former Ukip leader known for his climate skepticism.
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss was also present at the event in London, alongside current Conservative MPs Andrew Griffith, the shadow trade minister, and Christopher Chope.
The formation of this UK branch of the Heartland Institute—associated with the forthcoming Trump administration and funded by corporations such as ExxonMobil and affluent Republican donors—coincides with Farage's efforts to position opposition to net zero policies as a central theme of Reform's electoral strategy.
Reform MPs have utilized parliamentary speaking time to advocate for the elimination of net zero targets and to promote the establishment of new coal mines.
Heartland has issued several extreme and inaccurate statements regarding climate issues. Previously, it has equated individuals who accept the reality of global warming to the Unabomber, a domestic terrorist in the United States who was imprisoned for the murder of three individuals and the injury of numerous others. Additionally, it has erroneously asserted that heatwaves in the United States are not on the rise as a result of the climate crisis.
The Heartland Institute president, James Taylor, said: “During recent years, a growing number of policymakers in the UK and continental Europe have requested Heartland establish a satellite office to provide resources to conservative policymakers throughout Europe. With our UK and European launch, we aim to fulfil this requested impact throughout Europe.”
Lois Perry, who served as the leader of Ukip until June and has characterized the climate emergency as “a scam,” will oversee the UK division. She has frequently appeared on GB News, where she has minimized the reality of the climate crisis and the associated threats.
The launch event in December took place at the prestigious Brooks’s private members club in Mayfair, one of the few remaining gentlemen’s clubs that does not permit female members.
Farage has developed a close association with the group. In an October interview with Taylor, he asserted that the “minority position” opposing net zero is “gaining ground.” A prominent UK-based climate research institute noted that Heartland has a history of endorsing extreme forms of climate science denial in the United States.
Bob Ward, the director of communications at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at LSE, remarked: “Heartland undoubtedly feels empowered by the potential for a new Trump administration that is vowing to execute an ideological purge of all matters related to climate action.”
The launch was described by the Green party co-leader Adrian Ramsay as a move to “import dirty US climate-denying money into British politics”.
“That Farage seems so willing to sell out British interests and front climate denial for his own short-term gain should alarm us all,” he added.
Griffith said: “In any year, I attend hundreds of external events with business organisations and thinktanks, none of which automatically imply my endorsement. A successful UK business environment requires competitive energy costs, something this socialist government seems not to understand.”
The establishment of Heartland UK, backed by climate science deniers and funded by oil interests, represents a troubling development for UK politics. The close ties between prominent figures like Farage, Truss, and the Heartland Institute raise concerns about the growing influence of climate denial within the political sphere.
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By promoting a dangerous narrative that undermines climate science, this group risks delaying critical action on the climate crisis, which could have dire consequences for future generations. The association with such groups suggests a disregard for the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change, threatening progress toward global environmental goals.
