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UK Climate Deniers Ridley and Paterson Join the Campaign to Leave the EU

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By Kyla Mandel
onJan 6, 2016 @ 00:01 PST

Matt Ridley and Owen Paterson are the latest climate deniers to come out in favour of the UK leaving the Europeanย Union.

The coal baron and former environment minister have both joined the group Business for Britain, which will launch a pro-Brexit campaign in the north east of Englandย today.

The two join Lord Lawson, ex-chancellor and head of the climate denying Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF), who announced in October that he would lead the Conservative campaign to leave the EU.

UKIPโ€™s Nigel Farage โ€“ famous for saying he has โ€œno ideaโ€ about climate change โ€“ has also given his support to the Grassroots Out campaign group, which plans to target โ€œordinaryโ€ voters in the lead up to theย referendum.

The news comes as Prime Minister David Cameron announced yesterday that ministers will be allowed to campaign for either side of the EU referendum once a deal is reached on Britainโ€™s relationship with the EU.

The referendum is set to be held before the end ofย 2017.

By Kyla Mandel
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Kyla is a freelance writer and editor with work appearing in the New York Times, National Geographic, HuffPost, Mother Jones, and Outside. She is also a member of the Society for Environmental Journalists.

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