The tabloid failed to mention that Net Zero Watch, which last week called for renewables to be ‘wound down’ completely, was behind the survey.

Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has called the Net Zero Watch report "an incoherent jumble of climate denialism, fake news and truth-twisting".

The claims stem from an unsubstantiated remark made in 2014 by the then NATO general secretary, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, that Russia had “actively engaged” with environmental groups opposing shale gas “to maintain European dependence on imported Russian gas”.

Robert Halfon MP works with FairFuelUK, a haulage industry-funded lobby group whose founder Howard Cox rejects climate science.

The ties between anti-green politicians, climate denial groups and the backers of “hard” Brexit are extensive.

Lord Moore has stepped down as trustee of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, which is currently working with backbench MPs to oppose net zero targets.

The festival's shift from BP and Shell partnerships comes as a growing number of cultural institutions have cut ties with oil and gas companies.

‘Vote Power, Not Poverty’ co-founder Richard Tice says politicians want to make money from the “green agenda” while Farage has campaigned against climate action for years.

The donation from Global Warming Policy Forum chair Neil Record is the latest connection to emerge between denial groups and anti-net zero MPs.

Eight members of the Net Zero Scrutiny Group endorsed a report by Howard Cox opposing the UK’s phase-out of petrol and diesel cars.