Overview
55 Tufton Street Network is a collective of libertarian think tanks and lobby groups operating from a building in Westminster, London. Since the 2010s the network has been associated with pro-Brexit advocacy and has attracted controversy for the anonymity of its funders and opaque operations. The network has been accused of having outsized influence over UK government policy through coordinated lobbying efforts, with critics referring to it as a dark money operation. Member organisations include the TaxPayers Alliance, Civitas, Adam Smith Institute, Leave Means Leave, Global Warming Policy Foundation and the Centre for Migration Control. The network has direct personnel links to Reform UK through Richard Tice and Nigel Farage who co-chaired Leave Means Leave. It has been linked to US dark money funders including the Koch Brothers and Robert Mercer, and to far-right parties in Europe including the Sweden Democrats and Brothers of Italy. The building at 55 Tufton Street became prominent in the 2010s as a hub for pro-Brexit think tanks and lobby groups and has faced increasing scrutiny from campaign groups like Led By Donkeys and legal challenges from the Good Law Project seeking transparency about its funding.
Aims & Objectives
The network houses various libertarian organisations that advocate for free-market policies, deregulation, and Brexit-related causes. Member organisations maintain policies of donor anonymity while seeking to influence government policy through coordinated lobbying and think tank activities. The network coordinates anti-immigration and climate denial messaging distributed to right-wing media outlets including the Telegraph and GB News. Groups within the network have been accused of agreeing on a single set of right-wing talking points to secure maximum media exposure.
History
The building at 55 Tufton Street became prominent in the 2010s as a hub for pro-Brexit think tanks and lobby groups. The network has faced increasing scrutiny from media organisations, campaign groups like Led By Donkeys, and legal challenges from organisations such as Good Law Project seeking transparency about its funding and operations. Former Vote Leave employee Shahmir Sanni accused member organisations of using meetings to agree on coordinated right-wing talking points. The network has been linked to major US funders of climate change denial and right-wing political causes including the Koch Brothers and Robert Mercer.