Politeia
Background
Politeia is a free-market organisation established in 1995 that aims to act as “a forum for discussing economic, constitutional and social policy,” according to its website.1“ABOUT US,” Politeia. Archived January 19, 2019. Archive.fo URL:https://archive.fo/bVbIp
It was listed as one of the organisations consulted prior to the publication of an “ideal” post-Brexit US-UK trade deal by a group of free market think tanks and campaign groups led by the Cato Institute and Institute for Free Trade (IFT).2“The Ideal U.S.-U.K. Free Trade Agreement” (PDF), Cato Institute, September 2018.
Stance on Climate Change
2014
David Howell, former Secretary of State for Energy under Margaret Thatcher, wrote a report on the EU’s energy policy for Politeia in 2014. In it, he wrote:3David Howell. “Britain and the EU: The momentum for European reform” (PDF), Politeia, 2014. Archived .pdf on file at DesMog.
F“Revolutionary changes in energy production and new climate questions have made redundant the EU’s energy and climate goals, to Europe’s severe disadvantage.”
And:
“The energy and climate policy of the EU has all along been dogmatically opposed to coal, gas and oil (until overwhelmed by facts to the contrary).”
In the report, he also described the “the climate policy-makers of Brussels” as “zealots.”
Funding
Financial Disclosures & Other Documents
Key People
Directors
President
Patron
Consultant Directors
Founding Directors (Listed 2006 through 2010)
| Name |
| Maurice Cowling |
| Sheila Lawlor |
| The Lord Pilkington |
Academic Advisory Council
| Name | 2000 | 2003 | 2005 | 2009 | 2010 | 2013 | 2016 | 2019 |
| David Dilks | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Deepak Lal | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Harold James | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Tim Congdon | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| David Willets | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Vito Tanzi | Y | Y | Y | |||||
| Brian Williamson | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Francis Maude | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Geoffrey Leigh | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Oliver Letwin | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| The Lord Pilkington | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Stuart Wheeler | Y | Y | ||||||
| Maurice Cowling | Y | Y | ||||||
| Michael Howard | Y | Y | ||||||
| Paul Judge | Y |
Westminster Advisory Council
| Name | 2010 | 2019 |
| Francis Maude | Y | |
| Frank Field | Y | Y |
| John Mc Fall | Y | |
| Lord Lexden | Y | |
| Lord Mcfall Of Alcluith | Y | |
| Michael Gove | Y | Y |
| Vince Cable | Y | Y |
Business Council
| Name | 2013 | 2015 | 2016 |
| Anthony Coombs | Y | Y | Y |
| Carl Lygo | Y | Y | Y |
| Chris Kinder | Y | Y | Y |
| Dan Cutts | Y | ||
| Gerard Lyons | Y | Y | Y |
| Hugh Sykes | Y | Y | Y |
| John Hodgson | Y | Y | Y |
| Lord Ballyedmond | Y | ||
| Russell Gould | Y |
Emeritus (Listed in 2005)
- Douglas Moore
- The Lord Parkinson
Patron: George Robinson
Hedge fund manager Robinson is listed on Politeia’s website as its patron. He has donated over £400,000 to Conservative party and Tory politicians. He also gave £5,000 to Boris Johnson’s London mayoral campaign. He gave £10,000 to the No Campaign, which campaigned against electoral reform in the UK in 2011. Matthew Elliott – now of the Legatum Institute and Brexit Central, and formerly chief executive of the Vote Leave campaign – was Board Director of the No Campaign.4“People,” Politeia. Archived January 19, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/n26m5 5Electoral Commission Search for George Robinson, performed January 2019. Archived data on file at DeSmog. 6“Scottish Affairs Committee: Written evidence submitted by No Campaign Limited,” Parliament.uk, May 4, 2012. Archived January 20, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/pWMWk
Academic Advisor: Deepak Lal
Lal sits on the Academic Advisory Board of the UK climate science denial campaign group, the Global Warming Policy Foundation. He is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank in the US with links to major climate science denier funder Charles Koch. He was also described as co-director of the Institute of Economic Affairs‘ “Trade and Development Unit.” IEA is a UK think-tank with strong affiliations to the Brexit campaign.7“ACADEMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL: PROFESSOR DEEPAK LAL,” September 30, 2010. Archived January 20, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Q3Zem 8“DEEPAK LAL,” Cato Institute. Archived January 20, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Xsq59 9“Deepak Lal,” Cato Unbound. Archived January 20, 2019. Archive.fo URL:https://archive.fo/afkPJ
Lal is or was also a member of the Mont Pelerin Society, created in 1947 by the free market economist and philosopher Friedrich von Hayek and advocates “classical liberalism,” an ideology classified by small government and minimal regulation of business. Many groups associated with the Mont Pelerin Society have ties to climate science denial, DeSmogBlog reported.10“MONT PELERIN SOCIETY DIRECTORY – 2010” (PDF), on file at DeSmog. 11Graham Readfearn. “Mont Pelerin Society A Window Into Ideological Heart Of Kochtopus Climate Denial,” DeSmog, January 27, 2014.
Westminster Advisors: Vince Cable, Michael Gove and Frank Field
Cable was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats in 2017. He is listed as being part of Politiea’s Westminster Advisory Council despite being staunchly pro-EU. Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who sits at the heart of a web of lobbyists and think tanks working out of offices on Tufton Street and pushing disinformation on climate change while advocating a hard-Brexit, is also listed as an advisor. Former Labour MP and arch-Brexiteer Frank Field, who resigned from the party after voting against the whip to support the Conservative government’s Brexit agenda, is also on the Advisory Council.12Ben Gartside. “Who will replace Vince Cable as the next Liberal Democrat Leader?” Business Insider, September 7, 2018. Archived January 21, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ITCPg 13“People,” Politeia. Archived January 19, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/n26m5
Actions
September 2018
Politeia was listed as one of the organisations consulted prior to the publication of an “ideal” post-Brexit US-UK trade deal by a group of free market think tanks and campaign groups led by the Cato Institute and Institute for Free Trade. Other groups consulted included many residents of offices on Tufton Street, which act as the heart of a network of organisations pushing disinformation on climate change and for a hard Brexit.14“The Ideal U.S.-U.K. Free Trade Agreement” (PDF), Cato Institute, September 2018.
Related Organisations
- 55 Tufton Street — Politeia has worked with a variety of groups tied to an address of 55 Tufton Street including the Cato Institute.
Contact & Address
According to Companies House records, Politeia has the following registered office address:15“POLITEIA: Company number 03123505,” Companies House. Accessed January 21, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/jCcSB
5 Fleet Place, London,
EC4M 7RD
Social Media
- @IFTtweets on Twitter
- IFreeTrade on Facebook
- @PoliteiaUK on Twitter.
- “Politeia” on Facebook.
- “Politeia” on LinkedIn.
Other Resources
Resources
- 1“ABOUT US,” Politeia. Archived January 19, 2019. Archive.fo URL:https://archive.fo/bVbIp
- 2“The Ideal U.S.-U.K. Free Trade Agreement” (PDF), Cato Institute, September 2018.
- 3David Howell. “Britain and the EU: The momentum for European reform” (PDF), Politeia, 2014. Archived .pdf on file at DesMog.
- 4“People,” Politeia. Archived January 19, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/n26m5
- 5Electoral Commission Search for George Robinson, performed January 2019. Archived data on file at DeSmog.
- 6“Scottish Affairs Committee: Written evidence submitted by No Campaign Limited,” Parliament.uk, May 4, 2012. Archived January 20, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/pWMWk
- 7“ACADEMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL: PROFESSOR DEEPAK LAL,” September 30, 2010. Archived January 20, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Q3Zem
- 8“DEEPAK LAL,” Cato Institute. Archived January 20, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Xsq59
- 9“Deepak Lal,” Cato Unbound. Archived January 20, 2019. Archive.fo URL:https://archive.fo/afkPJ
- 10“MONT PELERIN SOCIETY DIRECTORY – 2010” (PDF), on file at DeSmog.
- 11Graham Readfearn. “Mont Pelerin Society A Window Into Ideological Heart Of Kochtopus Climate Denial,” DeSmog, January 27, 2014.
- 12Ben Gartside. “Who will replace Vince Cable as the next Liberal Democrat Leader?” Business Insider, September 7, 2018. Archived January 21, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ITCPg
- 13“People,” Politeia. Archived January 19, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/n26m5
- 14“The Ideal U.S.-U.K. Free Trade Agreement” (PDF), Cato Institute, September 2018.
- 15“POLITEIA: Company number 03123505,” Companies House. Accessed January 21, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/jCcSB
