The Centre for a Better Britain (CFABB)

Background

The Centre for a Better Britain (CFABB), previously named Resolute 1850, is a think tank funded by friends of Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK.¹ It formally launched in September 2025 to “support Reform with policy development, briefing and rebuttal”.²

The think tank aims to seek funding from allies of 47th U.S. President Donald Trump, tech interests, and “religious conservatives”.³ By September 2025, the think tank had reportedly raised over £1 million.⁴ Documents leaked to The Times in June 2025 detailed the think tank’s intention to raise £25 million by 2029 from UK and U.S. sources, including pro-Trump donors.⁵

The group’s plans state that it will formulate ideas about how to cut state services, oppose DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), and “reform healthcare”.⁶

Its policies include pushing back on efforts to address climate change. According to documents leaked to The Times, CFABB has already had “research commissioned” on the subject of “challenging the ESG [environmental, social, and governance] narrative”.⁷ CFABB was reported to be considering the question of “if Britain is to have a secure, stable and independent energy supply, what does a post-Net Zero energy policy look like?” in the situation where a right-wing government succeed the Labour government.⁸

CFABB was founded by investors with business interests in the energy and metals industries: Mark Thompson, an investor with interests in metals, fossil fuels, and renewable energy; and his business associate David Lilley,⁹ a senior metals trader and former Conservative donor who has given £270,000 to Reform.¹⁰ Thompson and Lilley are reportedly friends of Nigel Farage from his work as a metals trader in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.¹¹

The think tank was chaired by James Orr, a conservative Cambridge academic who has been described as the “philosopher king” of 47th U.S. Vice President JD Vance.¹² Orr was tasked with overseeing policy formation for the think tank,¹³ until formally joining Reform UK in on October 19, 2025 as a senior adviser and stepping down from his role at CFABB.¹⁴

Orr has expressed anti-climate positions,¹⁵ expressed admiration for the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025, the 900-page right-wing policy blueprint for Trump’s second term,¹⁶ and accused the UK of adopting a “naive and dangerous” approach to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it a “regional Slavic conflict” that he doesn’t “care very much about,”¹⁷ at an event organised by an oil-funded Hungarian think tank linked to Viktor Orbán’s government.¹⁸

The CFABB is reported to have close ties to the leadership of Reform UK, including “direct contact” with Farage.¹⁹ In spring 2025, CFABB leadership reportedly met with Farage and his deputy Richard Tice, who both have an extensive history of denying climate science.²⁰

CFABB director Jonathan Brown, who served as Reform’s chief operating officer until October 2024, told the Financial Times in September 2025 that the think tank would “examine ways to weaken the authority of Britain’s judiciary and civil service under a future right-wing government, and make Trump-style sweeping changes to UK law”.²¹

CFABB’s offices are located on the 15th floor of Milbank Tower,²² close to Westminster, in the same building that houses Reform UK’s offices.²³

The think tank also said in 2025 that it is “building relationships” with the Conservative Party’s Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, reportedly because the Conservatives may have influence in a future Reform UK government.²⁴

The think tank was established as a private limited company in December 2024 under the original name Resolute 1850,²⁵ which is likely a reference to the navy ship whose timbers were used to make the desk selected by President Trump for the Oval Office.²⁶

Stance on Climate Change

As of September 2025, while CFABB does not have a formal policy stance on climate change, its leadership has regularly expressed anti-climate positions, including positions supporting fracking²⁷ and North Sea oil and gas drilling.²⁸

CFABB Chair James Orr claimed in an interview with the European Conservative that the UK’s energy policies are “crazy” and that the pursuit of net zero is “fiscal suicide”.²⁹

When Orr was asked in August 2025 about what a Reform UK government would do in power, he responded that it would “end the economic catastrophe of net zero”, claiming that doing “that alone will give the country an enormous kick in terms of productivity”.³⁰

Mark Thompson, CFABB founder, has also publicly criticised the energy transition, posting on X in 2021: “Climate policy is legislating the end of CO2 emissions forcing the end of cheap energy production”.³¹

Funding

Although the think tank allegedly raised £1 million ahead of its launch,³² Orr said on the Today programme in July 2025 that, as far as he was aware, only two donors had contributed – CFABB co-founders David Lilley and Mark Thompson.³³

Documents leaked to The Times in June 2025 detailed the think tank’s intention to raise £25 million by 2029 from UK and U.S. sources.³⁴

As part of that effort, the CFABB incorporated entities in the U.S. and Canada. A source told the Times that CFABB had not yet received North American donations as of summer 2025, and was “more than familiar with its obligations under electoral law”.³⁵

In August 2025, The Observer reported that the Electoral Commission had spent the past six weeks assessing whether the think tank is in breach of electoral law for its foreign fundraising efforts.³⁶

Key People

James Orr

A University of Cambridge associate professor of philosophy of religion, Orr was the chair of CFABB,³⁷ until stepping down on October 19, 2025 after announcing he would join Reform UK as a senior adviser to Nigel Farage.³⁸ He is also on the chairman of the the Edmund Burke Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington DC,³⁹ a board member of the Prosperity Institute think tank, and an advisory board member of the climate denial network the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.⁴⁰

Orr is a close friend of 47th U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, and has been described as the vice president’s “philosopher king”. He became friends with Vance in 2019 after Vance’s conversion to Catholicism.⁴¹

Orr has expressed admiration for the Heritage Foundation – the U.S. group that drafted the radical and influential ‘Project 2025’ blueprint for Donald Trump’s second term.⁴²

At the annual MCC Feszt event in Hungary in late August 2025, hosted by the oil-funded think tank Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), Orr accused the UK of adopting a “naive and dangerous” approach to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and instead praised Hungary’s approach, which has seen the country systematically block and delay EU military aid packages to Ukraine and sanctions on Russian oligarchs.⁴³

Orr believes that the UK should emulate Hungary and eastern Europe. Speaking at the MCC festival, he described Viktor Orbán’s autocratic government as a “counterexample to the ideology in my own country that rejects national pride and heritage”.⁴⁴

In reference to modern Britain, he told PoliticsHome:⁴⁵

“This new nation that’s emerging is really no nation at all. It’s almost a laboratory for hyper-liberalism, hyper-progressivism, engaging in the endgame of this disastrous experiment that has been multi-culturalism”.

Mark Thompson

CFABB co-founder Mark Thompson is an investor with interests in metals, fossil fuels, and renewable energy. He’s a former partner at Apollo Management, one of the world’s largest asset management firms.⁴⁶ He’s also a former donor to ex-Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss.⁴⁷

As of September 2024, Thompson sits on the board of VSA Capital, which has acted as a financial advisor and broker to a number of oil and gas companies.⁴⁸

However, Thompson also holds interests in renewable energy. He is the director of Godolphin Exploration – a mining company that claims it produces “metals for the green energy transition”.⁴⁹

VSA Capital also trades in “transitional energy”, saying that it works in particular on battery storage – a crucial component for the rollout of renewable energy.⁵⁰

According to James Orr, Thompson and David Lilley, have been friends with Nigel Farage since they worked as metals traders together in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Orr told the BBC that “They’ve always been fellow travellers with him [Farage],” – “they went boozing with him when they were in the commodities business”.⁵¹

David Lilley

David Lilley, one CFABB’s two founders, is the CEO of investment fund Drakewood Capital,⁵² which specialises in metals and mining trading and has a strategic partnership with VSA Capital.⁵³

Lilley is a major Reform donor who has given over £270,000 to Reform as of September 2025.⁵⁴

Lilley gave £580,000 to the Conservative Party and its candidates between 2013 and 2023, as well as £150,000 to the pro-Brexit Vote Leave campaign.⁵⁵

An experienced metals trader, Lilley is the former business partner of Conservative peer Lord Michael Farmer, whose son George is a major Reform donor and sits on the board of the anti-climate broadcaster GB News.⁵⁶

Lilley is also invested in renewables – owning a hydro power project in Scotland via a company called Allt Power.⁵⁷

Lilley controls a series of companies that own 12,000 hectares of farmland in the Stavropol region of Russia, in the south west of the country, used to produce cereals and oilseeds.⁵⁸

Lilley’s companies have written off their Russian assets, worth £1.76 million as of October 2022. Lilley told DeSmog that he had made no profit on these assets since February 2022 and that he had been prevented from selling them by the Russian state.⁵⁹

Archie Manners

Former YouTuber Archie Manners was reportedly hired in summer 2025 to provide communications advice to CFABB.⁶⁰

During his era of social media stardom, Manners amassed over one million YouTube subscribers with his collaborator Josh Pieters, before their collaboration ended in late 2024.

Manners ran Farage’s social media accounts during the 2024 general election, with £24,000 paid by Reform UK to Goon Squad Limited – the business he shared with Pieters.⁶¹

He has previously been known for pranking climate activist group Just Stop Oil,⁶² as well as former Conservative Home Secretary Suella Braverman – mocking her for campaigning against the arrival of asylum seekers on small boats, which is now a central part of Reform UK’s messaging.

Jonathan Brown

CFABB’s director is Jonathan Brown, who until October 2024 served as chief operating officer for Reform UK.⁶³

Nicola Haylings

Nicola Haylings, a member of the Resolute 1850 board as of April 2025,⁶⁴ has worked in the mining industry.⁶⁵

Affiliations

Reform UK – CFABB reportedly advises Reform UK, including leaders Farage and Tice.⁶⁶

Prosperity Institute – holds bi-weekly meetings with CFABB;⁶⁷ Orr is on the advisory board.⁶⁸; Brown acknowledged that they were meeting.⁶⁹

Heritage Foundation – Orr has expressed admiration for the U.S. group that drafted the radical and influential ‘Project 2025’ blueprint for Donald Trump’s second term.⁷⁰

Edmund Burke Foundation – Orr is UK chairman.⁷¹

Alliance for Responsible Citizenship – Orr serves as an advisory board member.⁷²

Key Actions

September 5-6, 2025

CFABB then-chair James Orr spoke at the Reform UK’s annual conference alongside Zia Yusuf, Reform’s head of policy and head of its DOGE unit, in a talk titled “Is the country really ready for Reform?”.⁷³

During the talk, he reportedly advised Reform to adopt Trump-style approaches to immigration, including the formation of a UK version of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the creation of a UK equivalent of Project 2025, the radical right-wing blueprint for Trump’s second term created by the Heritage Foundation.⁷⁴

August 31 – September 2, 2025

CFABB’s then-chair James Orr spoke at MCC Feszt, a festival in Hungary organised by oil-funded think tank Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC).⁷⁵

The event was also attended by radical right-wing figures, including tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, former Downing Street advisor Dominic Cummings, and Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán.⁷⁶

MCC is funded by the Hungarian state largely via shares in the country’s national oil company MOL, and has strong links to Orbán’s autocratic regime. MOL, which sponsored the main stage at MCC’s festival, continued to refine Russian oil throughout the Ukraine war – announcing in March that it would replace one-third of its imports from the country.⁷⁷

August 2025

CFABB chair James Orr and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance met for a barbeque in the Cotswolds during Vance’s holiday in the UK.⁷⁸

June 2025

Leaked documents viewed by The Times indicate that CFABB has commissioned research on the subject of “challenging the ESG narrative”.⁷⁹

December 20, 2024

Co-founder Mark Thompson incorporated CFABB’s parent company Resolute 1850 Ltd. on 20 December – the same day that resolute1850.org was registered.⁸⁰

Key Quotes

August 31 – September 2, 2025

CFABB’s chair James Orr accused the UK of adopting a “naive and dangerous” approach to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at MCC Feszt, a festival in Hungary organised by oil-funded think tank Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC).⁸¹

Orr accused politicians of failing to “reflect upon this crisis, this problem, this conflict, on its own terms”.

He claimed they have a “peculiar psychological condition” – which he labelled “Ukraine brain” – that means they are only able to understand the Russia-Ukraine war “through the lens” of the Second World War.

He instead praised Hungary’s approach, which has seen the country systematically block and delay EU military aid packages to Ukraine and sanctions on Russian oligarchs.⁸²

August 31, 2025

Writing on X, Orr said:⁸³

“The Tory Party inflicted the cost-of-living nightmare of Net Zero on Britain. Labour is doubling down on it. Reform will free us from it”.

August 13, 2025

In an interview with the European Conservative, CFABB Chair James Orr said that the UK’s energy policies are “crazy” and that the pursuit of net zero is “fiscal suicide”.⁸⁴

April 21, 2025

Posting on X, CFABB co-founder Mark Thompson said that “Successive Govts squandered north sea oil [sic]”.⁸⁵

March 27, 2025

Posting on X, CFABB co-founder Mark Thompson criticised climate activist organisation Just Stop Oil’s claim that they had “kept over 4.4 billion barrels of oil in the ground.” Instead, he suggested that Just Stop Oil “succeeded in 4.4bn barrels of oil being produced elsewhere, costing the UK economy”.⁸⁶

March 3, 2025

Posting on X, CFABB chair James Orr claimed: “Britain is committing economic suicide to achieve Net Zero. In the unlikely event we do achieve it, the impact on global emissions will be zero”.⁸⁷

February 12, 2025

Posting on X, CFABB chair James Orr said: “Pushing through the Climate Change Act in 2008 with zero scrutiny of the economic tradeoffs is one of New Labour’s least known but most devastating legacies,” adding, “In that same period we could have enjoyed a shale gas revolution of our own comparable in its impact on domestic electricity prices and carbon emissions to that in the US”.⁸⁸

January 4, 2025

CFABB chair James Orr reposted a claim from prominent Danish climate denier Bjorn Lomborg which suggested that UK energy prices are due to climate policies rather than fluctuations in the price of gas.⁸⁹

Orr added:

“The reckless insanity of energy policy under both the Tories and Labour since 2004 has turned Britain into an international laughing-stock. Energy independence is the only policy goal we should be pursuing”.

March 23, 2021

CFABB co-founder Mark Thompson posted on X: “Climate policy is legislating the end of CO2 emissions forcing the end of cheap energy production. For example on power generation multiple units of renewables capacity is required to replace 1 unit of coal or gas capacity”.⁹⁰

Resources

Centre for a Better Britain – official website.

Resolute 1850 – official website of the old name.

James Orr, @jtworr – X/Twitter profile

Mark Thompson, @METhompson72 – X/Twitter profile

1
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “New Reform Think Tank ‘Resolute 1850’ Run by Mining Magnates,” DeSmog, April 10, 2025.
2
Anna Gross. “Reform UK figures plan Maga-style think-tank to build policy and attract US donors,” The Financial Times, March 29, 2025. Archived March 29, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/aMrCx
3
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “New Reform Think Tank ‘Resolute 1850’ Run by Mining Magnates,” DeSmog, April 10, 2025.
4
Anna Gross. “Reform-linked think-tank secures funding pledges worth £1mn,” The Financial Times, April 11, 2025. Archived April 11, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ahycY
5
Gabriel Pogrund. “The Nigel Farage backers chasing Maga millions and a Jenrick pact,” The Times, June 21, 2025. Archived June 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/j6NKB
6
Sam Bright. “Meet the Orbán Fans Hoping to Write Policies for Prime Minister Nigel Farage,” Novara Media, August 15, 2025. Archived September 3, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/7ikES
7
Gabriel Pogrund. “The Nigel Farage backers chasing Maga millions and a Jenrick pact,” The Times, June 21, 2025. Archived June 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/j6NKB
8
Tom Jones. “Cutting the silken threads,” The Critic, November 6, 2025. Archived November 10, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.is/3EjWq
9
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “New Reform Think Tank ‘Resolute 1850’ Run by Mining Magnates,” DeSmog, April 10, 2025.
10
“Mr David George Plumer Lilley,” Electoral Commission, accessed September 25, 2025. Archived September 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.is/hjrFV
11
“Radical with Amol Rajan: Britain’s New Right: Could Reform Replace The Tories? (James Orr),” BBC Today Programme, July 31, 2025. Archived .mp3 on file at DeSmog.
12
Peter Snowdon and Anne McElvoy. “Meet JD Vance’s English philosopher king,” Politico, September 19, 2024. Archived September 19, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/re4Uu
13
Aubrey Allegretti. “ JD Vance has ‘special concern’ for UK, says Cambridge philosopher,” The Times, July 6, 2025. Archived July 23, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Nlbcg
14
David Lynch. “Academic influential within Trump administration joins Reform UK as adviser,” The Independent, October 19, 2025. Archived October 24, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.is/uzZKy
15
Joey Grostern “Farage and Vance ‘Sherpa’ Attacked ‘Ukraine Brain’ at Oil-Backed Festival,” DeSmog, August 7, 2025.
16
Adam Barnett. “Farage to Share Stage with Architects of Trump’s Anti-Climate Agenda,” DeSmog, August 27, 2025.
17
Zoltán Kottász. ““No civilisation has invited invaders in and put them up in four-star hotels”: Professor James Orr,” European Conservative, August 13, 2025. Archived September 18, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.is/ozdmS
18
Joey Grostern “Farage and Vance ‘Sherpa’ Attacked ‘Ukraine Brain’ at Oil-Backed Festival,” DeSmog, August 7, 2025.
19
Gabriel Pogrund. “The Nigel Farage backers chasing Maga millions and a Jenrick pact,” The Times, June 21, 2025. Archived June 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/j6NKB
20
Tom Scotson. “New Right Wing Think Tank With Links To Reform Plans Spring Launch,” PoliticsHome, April 2, 2025. Archived April 2, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/OXQc0
21
Anna Gross. “Reform UK think-tank plans Trump-style constitutional changes,” The Financial Times, September 6, 2025. Archived September 7, 2025. Archived .pdf on file on DeSmog.
22
Gabriel Pogrund. “The Nigel Farage backers chasing Maga millions and a Jenrick pact,” The Times, June 21, 2025. Archived June 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/j6NKB
23
Gabriel Pogrund. “The Nigel Farage backers chasing Maga millions and a Jenrick pact,” The Times, June 21, 2025. Archived June 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/j6NKB
24
Gabriel Pogrund. “The Nigel Farage backers chasing Maga millions and a Jenrick pact,” The Times, June 21, 2025. Archived June 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/j6NKB
25
“RESOLUTE 1850 LTD,” Companies House. Archived August 18, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/FZ42a
26
Anna Gross. “Reform UK figures plan Maga-style think-tank to build policy and attract US donors,” The Financial Times, March 29, 2025. Archived March 29, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/aMrCx
27
James Orr. “Pushing through the Climate Change Act in 2008 with zero scrutiny of the economic tradeoffs is one of New Labour’s least known but most devastating legacies,” Post on X by @jwtorr, February 12, 2025. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.
28
Mark Thompson. “Successive Govts squandered north sea oil, end of cold war peace dividend, gave my parents’ generation gold plated pensions, free university education, free health and social care and ran up £3tn in debt – to be paid for by me and my kids who will get none of the above,” Post on X by @METhompson72, April 21, 2025. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.
29
Zoltan Kottasz. “‘No civilisation has invited invaders in and put them up in four-star hotels’: Professor James Orr,” European Conservative, August 13, 2025. Archived August 14, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ozdmS
30
Zoltan Kottasz. “‘No civilisation has invited invaders in and put them up in four-star hotels’: Professor James Orr,” European Conservative, August 13, 2025. Archived August 14, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ozdmS
31
Mark Thompson. “Climate policy is legislating the end of CO2 emissions forcing the end of cheap energy production. For example on power generation multiple units of renewables capacity is required to replace 1 unit of coal or gas capacity,” Post on X by @MarkThompson72, March 23, 2021. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.
32
Anna Gross. “Reform-linked think-tank secures funding pledges worth £1mn,” The Financial Times, April 11, 2025. Archived April 11, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ahycY
33
“Radical with Amol Rajan: Britain’s New Right: Could Reform Replace The Tories? (James Orr),” BBC Today Programme, July 31, 2025.
34
Gabriel Pogrund. “The Nigel Farage backers chasing Maga millions and a Jenrick pact,” The Times, June 21, 2025. Archived June 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/j6NKB
35
Gabriel Pogrund. “The Nigel Farage backers chasing Maga millions and a Jenrick pact,” The Times, June 21, 2025. Archived June 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/j6NKB
36
Peter Geoghegan. “Reform’s Disaster Capitalism,” London Review of Books, September 25, 2025. Archived September 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.is/00uPm
37
Adam Barnett. “Farage to Share Stage with Architects of Trump’s Anti-Climate Agenda,” DeSmog, August 27, 2025.
38
David Lynch. “Academic influential within Trump administration joins Reform UK as adviser,” The Independent, October 19, 2025. Archived October 24, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.is/uzZKy
39
Adam Barnett. “Farage to Share Stage with Architects of Trump’s Anti-Climate Agenda,” DeSmog, August 27, 2025.
40
Iain Overton. “Shock and Orr: Meet the Farage-Supporting ‘Philosopher King’ of British Authoritarianism,” Byline Times, August 26, 2025. Archived August 30, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mk3Z0
41
Peter Snowdon and Anne McElvoy. “Meet JD Vance’s English philosopher king,” Politico, September 19, 2024. Archived September 19, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/re4Uu
42
Adam Barnett. “Farage to Share Stage with Architects of Trump’s Anti-Climate Agenda,” DeSmog, August 27, 2025.
43
Joey Grostern. “Farage and Vance ‘Sherpa’ Attacked ‘Ukraine Brain’ at Oil-Backed Festival,” DeSmog, August 7, 2025.
44
Joey Grostern. “Farage and Vance ‘Sherpa’ Attacked ‘Ukraine Brain’ at Oil-Backed Festival,” DeSmog, August 7, 2025.
45
Noah Vickers. “James Orr: ‘This New Nation That’s Emerging Is Really No Nation At All,’’ PoliticsHome, September 4, 2025. Archived September 13, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.is/BlLyB
46
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “New Reform Think Tank ‘Resolute 1850’ Run by Mining Magnates,” DeSmog, April 10, 2025.
47
“Tungsten West Plc,” Electoral Commission, accessed October 7, 2025. Archived October 7, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.is/gN2M2
48
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “New Reform Think Tank ‘Resolute 1850’ Run by Mining Magnates,” DeSmog, April 10, 2025.
49
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “New Reform Think Tank ‘Resolute 1850’ Run by Mining Magnates,” DeSmog, April 10, 2025.
50
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “New Reform Think Tank ‘Resolute 1850’ Run by Mining Magnates,” DeSmog, April 10, 2025.
51
“Radical with Amol Rajan: Britain’s New Right: Could Reform Replace The Tories? (James Orr),” BBC Today Programme, July 31, 2025.
52
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “New Reform Think Tank ‘Resolute 1850’ Run by Mining Magnates,” DeSmog, April 10, 2025.
53
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “New Reform Think Tank ‘Resolute 1850’ Run by Mining Magnates,” DeSmog, April 10, 2025.
54
“Mr David George Plumer Lilley,” Electoral Commission, accessed September 25, 2025. Archived September 25, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.is/hjrFV
55
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “New Reform Think Tank ‘Resolute 1850’ Run by Mining Magnates,” DeSmog, April 10, 2025.
56
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “New Reform Think Tank ‘Resolute 1850’ Run by Mining Magnates,” DeSmog, April 10, 2025.
57
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “New Reform Think Tank ‘Resolute 1850’ Run by Mining Magnates,” DeSmog, April 10, 2025.
58
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “Major Donor to Nigel Farage’s Reform Party Owns Russian Assets,” DeSmog, June 26, 2024.
59
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “Major Donor to Nigel Farage’s Reform Party Owns Russian Assets,” DeSmog, June 26, 2024.
60
Alexandra Rogers. “Reform-linked thinktank hires YouTube star in policy and PR push,” SkyTV, June 3, 2025. Archived August 14, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Tc8Ao
61
Rowenna Mason and Ben Quinn. “Reform’s circles of influence: who’s who at the top of the party,” The Guardian, February 15, 2025. Archived February 15, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/0z93i
62
Holly Patrick. “YouTubers prank Just Stop Oil with alarms tied to balloons,” The Independent, July 24, 2023. Archived July 25, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/wYnWt
63
Anna Gross. “Reform UK think-tank plans Trump-style constitutional changes,” The Financial Times, September 6, 2025. Archived September 7, 2025. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
64
“RESOLUTE 1850 LTD,” Companies House. Archived August 18, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/FZ42a
65
“Nicola Zoe Haylings,” Companies House. Archived September 18, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.is/YmU7r
66
Gabriel Pogrund. “The Nigel Farage backers chasing Maga millions and a Jenrick pact,” The Times, June 21, 2025. Archived June 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/j6NKB
67
Gabriel Pogrund. “The Nigel Farage backers chasing Maga millions and a Jenrick pact,” The Times, June 21, 2025. Archived June 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/j6NKB
68
“Dr James Orr,” Prosperity Institute. Archived August 10, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8s2GV
69
Tom Jones. “Cutting the silken threads,” The Critic, November 6, 2025. Archived November 10, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.is/3EjWq
70
Adam Barnett. “Farage to Share Stage with Architects of Trump’s Anti-Climate Agenda,” DeSmog, August 27, 2025.
71
Adam Barnett. “Farage to Share Stage with Architects of Trump’s Anti-Climate Agenda,” DeSmog, August 27, 2025.
72
“Advisory Board,” Alliance for Responsible Citizenship. Archived September 17, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.is/MqOB4
73
Sam Bright. “Climate Deniers to Converge on Reform Conference,” DeSmog, September 3, 2025.
74
Olly Haynes. “How Reform UK Is Importing Conspiracy-Fuelled MAGA Politics to the UK,” Byline Times, September 9, 2025. Archived September 15, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/hNck8
75
Joey Grostern. “Farage and Vance ‘Sherpa’ Attacked ‘Ukraine Brain’ at Oil-Backed Festival,” DeSmog, August 7, 2025.
76
Joey Grostern. “Farage and Vance ‘Sherpa’ Attacked ‘Ukraine Brain’ at Oil-Backed Festival,” DeSmog, August 7, 2025.
77
Joey Grostern. “Farage and Vance ‘Sherpa’ Attacked ‘Ukraine Brain’ at Oil-Backed Festival,” DeSmog, August 7, 2025.
78
Katy Balls and Will Humphries. “JD Vance meets Nigel Farage for breakfast in the Cotswolds,” The Times, August 13, 2025. Archived August 29, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/VDedq
79
Gabriel Pogrund. “The Nigel Farage backers chasing Maga millions and a Jenrick pact,” The Times, June 21, 2025. Archived June 22, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/j6NKB
80
Adam Barnett and Sam Bright. “New Reform Think Tank ‘Resolute 1850’ Run by Mining Magnates,” DeSmog, April 10, 2025.
81
Joey Grostern. “Farage and Vance ‘Sherpa’ Attacked ‘Ukraine Brain’ at Oil-Backed Festival,” DeSmog, August 7, 2025.
82
Joey Grostern. “Farage and Vance ‘Sherpa’ Attacked ‘Ukraine Brain’ at Oil-Backed Festival,” DeSmog, August 7, 2025.
83
James Orr. “The Tory Party inflicted the cost-of-living nightmare of Net Zero on Britain. Labour is doubling down on it. Reform will free us from it,” Post on X by @jtworr, August 31, 2025. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.
84
Zoltán Kottász. “‘No civilisation has invited invaders in and put them up in four-star hotels’: Professor James Orr,” European Conservative, August 13, 2025. Archived August 14, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ozdmS
85
Mark Thompson. “Successive Govts squandered north sea oil, end of cold war peace dividend, gave my parents’ generation gold plated pensions, free university education, free health and social care and ran up £3tn in debt – to be paid for by me and my kids who will get none of the above,” Post on X by @METhompson72, April 21, 2025. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.
86
Mark Thompson. “…err, no. You just succeeded in 4.4bn barrels of oil being produced elsewhere, costing the UK economy. But you probably feel better about yourselves (morally superior anyway), so that’s alright then,” Post on X by @METhompson72, March 27, 2025. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.
87
James Orr. “Britain is committing economic suicide to achieve Net Zero. In the unlikely event we do achieve it, the impact on global emissions will be zero. The evidence that others will be inspired to follow our example? Also zero. We are governed by clowns,” Post on X by @jtworr, March 3, 2025. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.
88
James Orr. “Pushing through the Climate Change Act in 2008 with zero scrutiny of the economic tradeoffs is one of New Labour’s least known but most devastating legacies,” Post on X by @jwtorr, February 12, 2025. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.
89
James Orr. “The reckless insanity of energy policy under both the Tories and Labour since 2004 has turned Britain into an international laughing-stock. Energy independence is the only policy goal we should be pursuing,” Post on X by @jwtorr, January 4, 2025. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.
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Mark Thompson. “Climate policy is legislating the end of CO2 emissions forcing the end of cheap energy production. For example on power generation multiple units of renewables capacity is required to replace 1 unit of coal or gas capacity,” Post on X by @MarkThompson72, March 23, 2021. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.

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