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Case Update

Success: Restore Trust caves in to legal challenge

13th January 2023

Last year, Good Law Project launched a legal campaign to uncover the insidious network of think-tanks and lobby groups based around 55 Tufton Street. These organisations have had a disproportionate and harmful influence over our politics – and we have set out to expose who’s behind them and who’s funding them.

We have recently been looking into Restore Trust, who have unsuccessfully tried to infiltrate the National Trust and want to shut down debates on issues like slavery and LGBTQ+ inclusivity.

Working with data rights law firm, AWO, we helped to unmask who’s behind its website – a company called RT2021 Limited. One of RT2021’s directors is Neil Record, who is also the chairman of climate change denial group, Net Zero Watch, based at 55 Tufton Street, and libertarian think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)

A common feature of the right-wing think tanks and fossil fuel lobby groups around 55 Tufton Street is their lack of transparency and misuse of people’s personal data.

Following legal action taken by Ian Browne, our Legal Manager, Restore Trust has been compelled to reveal who’s behind it, and after beginning legal proceedings, we’ve also forced it to correct its use of data.

Restore Trust has also now agreed to settle the legal challenge, take the further remedial action sought and pay costs. 

But we’re not stopping there. We are also tackling the climate change apologists and deniers at Global Warming Policy Foundation.

And Ian has now instructed the same data rights specialists, AWO, to turn its focus to The New Culture Forum – another Tufton Street right-wing think tank – that has some questionable data practices that we are keen to interrogate.

We will continue to expose the shady groups that operate from 55 Tufton Street.

If you are interested in supporting our work to unmask these organisations and tackle dark money in our politics, you can do so here.

Case

This article is part of our Tufton Street: Shine a light on dark money in politics case

Who pulls the strings of the shady groups at 55 Tufton Street? We’ve started a legal campaign to uncover this insidious network of think-tanks and lobby groups that influence our politics – and to expose who’s behind them.

See more about this case