Yesterday the BBC reported that “The Jodrell Bank Observatory, which has housed the UK's largest telescope for nearly 70 years, has lost its funding and could now close”.

It added that the “funding body, the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) agency, said it had to focus investment on projects that deliver ‘the greatest long-term impact’.”

The UKRI is a quango I write about a lot. It has a huge budget - £8.8 billion for 2025/26 - which it distributes through its nine research councils, as well as other channels such as the Future Leaders Fellowships (UKRI FLF).

The issue is that, while the UKRI does fund sensible things, it pours far too much money into its more frivolous wings, the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), which awarded £841,830 and £668,244 to research projects The Europe that Gay Porn Built, 1945-2000 and Pregnant Men: An International Exploration of Trans Male Experiences and Practices of Reproduction, respectively.

The UKRI FLF isn’t good either - though it doesn’t count as a research council - as you will soon see. It’s another example of money being wasted.

Meanwhile the UKRI has decided the Observatory’s £2.8 million annual budget is too much. But wait until you see today’s examples of what the UKRI chucks money at, including studies that have nothing to do with the UK.

Without further ado:

• Ending Extreme Poverty through Social Protection? Experimental Evidence from 10-year Nationwide Randomised Cash Transfers in Rwanda and Malawi - £3,304,309 (Nov 24 - Nov 28) UKRI FLF

• The Digital Good Network: exploring equity, sustainability and resilience in people’s relationships with and through digital technologies - £3,303,856 (Nov 22 - Oct 27) ESRC

• Co-Creating Asset and Place-Based Approaches to Tackling Refugee and Migrant Health Exclusion - £2,124,555 (Feb 24 - Apr 27) AHRC

• Multilingualism, Conflict and Conflict Resolution in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities of Linguistic Practice and Policy - £2,119,802 (Sept 23 - Sept 27) ESRC

• Nation of Refuge - £2,091,892 (Sept 25 - Sept 29) UKRI FLF

• Building Desirable and Resilient Public Media Futures: Establishing the Centre for Public Values, Technology & Society - £1,717,002 (Mar 24 - Mar 28) UKRI FLF

• Transforming LGBTIQ+ Asylum Policies: A Multi-Country Cross-Sectoral Approach to Research, Policy, and Advocacy - £1,555,506 (Feb 26 - Feb 30) UKRI FLF

• Co-Producing EDI Interventions for Virtual Production - £1,275,804 (Dec 24 - Nov 28) AHRC

• How can we create a more just society with A.I.? - £1,268,109 (Jul 22 - Jul 26) UKRI FLF

• Inclusive Histories - £1,254,813 (Sept 24 - Sept 27) AHRC

• Gender, Generation and Climate Change (GENERATE): Creative Approaches to Building Inclusive and Climate Resilient Cities in Uganda and Myanmar - £1,189,986 (Apr 19 - Nov 26) UKRI FLF

• Defining Ethnomusicological Action Research through the regeneration of folk singing in England - £1,188,320 (Feb 22 - Feb 27) UKRI FLF

• The Cultural Legacies of the British Empire: Classical Music’s Colonial History (1750-1900) - £1,183,769 (May 24 - May 29) UKRI FLF

• Decolonising Justice: Vernacular Justice Cultures Beyond the Liberal Order - £1,164,119 (Nov 25 - Nov 29) UKRI FLF

• The Abundance Project: Enhancing Cultural & Green Inclusion in Social Prescribing in Southwest London to Address Ethnic Inequalities in Mental Health - £1,056,814 (Feb 24 - Jul 27) AHRC

• Resettling the Colonial Lens: Photography and the (re)making of Malaysia’s New Villages - £1,014,696 (Jan 25 - Dec 27) AHRC

• Co-Producing Integrated Place-Based Supports to Enable Healthy Ageing-In-Place for Roma Communities - £1,007,541 (Feb 24 - Jan 27) AHRC

• The Beacon Project: Using Biodiversity and Energy justice to resolve Conflicts between Sustainable Development Goals - £963,901 (Aug 20 - Sept 26) UKRI FLF

• Decolonising Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Higher Education: Interventions in Theory, Policy and Practice - £939,368 (Mar 22 - Aug 26) UKRI FLF

• Communication and Creativity: An Arts-Based Study Focusing on Marginalised East African Communities in Kenya, Uganda and the United Kingdom - £847,202 (Dec 23 - Jul 27) AHRC

• The Europe that Gay Porn Built, 1945-2000 - £841,830 (Nov 23 - Oct 27) AHRC

• (MIS)TRANSLATING DECEIT: DISINFORMATION AS A TRANSLINGUAL, DISCURSIVE DYNAMIC - £839,794 (Nov 23 - Apr 27) AHRC

• The Uganda Film Unit Archive: Digitisation, Research and Restitution - £822,621 (Sept 25 - Sept 28) AHRC

• Gypsies Forging Sustainable Futures: Representing Romani Environmental Knowledge and Practices Through Traditional Metal Artwork and Dance - £810,703 (Apr 24 - Apr 27) AHRC

• Decolonising the Museum: Digital Repatriation of the Gaidinliu Collection from the UK to India (DiMuse) - £805,769 (Nov 22 - Oct 26) AHRC

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Understandably, there’s been a lot of interest in Andy Burnham’s new Director of Political Strategy, Matthew McGregor, who was the Director of Campaigns and Communications for Hope Not Hate between 2018-21 and since then Chief Executive Officer for 38 Degrees, a ghastly left-wing pressure group (with a charitable wing).

Ahead of his first day in Number 10, McGregor deleted his X account; clearly he doesn’t want the media trawling through his old posts. However, his digital footprint is far from gone. On LinkedIn you can read McGregor’s “favourite books” for 2025, including How to Defeat the Far Right by Nick Lowles, whom McGregor calls “a brilliant writer to go along with his unique and vital antifascist organising”, as well as confirmation that he wants a wealth tax:

And that’s not all. Various interviews exist with McGregor on YouTube, as recent as in November 2025 when he appeared on Over the Top Under the Radar, a podcast produced by a “Black-owned production company” that values “authenticity and diversity”:

As it took place not that long ago, I was keen to see what McGregor had to say and learn more about the man now given so much power in Downing Street. Here are 10 interesting things I learnt from the two-part interview (mostly but not always in the order they were mentioned):

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At the beginning of this month, I learnt I was to be mentioned in an article by “The Bureau of Investigative Journalism” (TBIJ), a publication funded by Ecotricity, the Gates Foundation, George Soros’s Open Society Foundations and Quaker foundations (Joseph Rowntree), among others.

The piece, which was published on July 6, describes “a torrent of rightwing hate and misinformation” directed at City of Sanctuary UK, a charity TBIJ says “promotes compassion for asylum seekers and refugees.”

Ahead of publication I was offered the opportunity to respond (which I didn’t take up) to points that would be raised in the piece, spelt out in an email whose subject was: “Right of reply: Misinformation and abuse targeting City of Sanctuary”. Full email below:

Dear Ms Gill,

I am a reporter for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and I am investigating the threats and misinformation that has been directed towards the charity City of Sanctuary.

We believe these matters to be firmly in the public interest in light of the sustained and often false coverage targeting the charity, the way these allegations have been spread by members of the far right and the subsequent threats and harassment the charity has received.

We want to give you the opportunity to respond to the following which we intend to publish:

1. You have published more than 20 posts about City of Sanctuary or its activities on your Substack.

2. In August 2025 you published a series of articles and videos about the Schools of Sanctuary programme, saying it was encouraging children to write Valentine’s letters to asylum seekers.

3. City of Sanctuary has said you have never contacted the charity to check your facts or to get their side of the story, as is standard journalistic practice.

4. Following an investigation the Charity Commission has found that the allegations against the charity were part of a “misinformation campaign” and at no point had any child written to an individual asylum seeker. You have dismissed the findings of the Charity Commission investigation and said the regulator is “not fit for purpose”.

5. Your coverage was then picked up by outlets including the Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail and GB News. It then spread online among several far right accounts with large followings.

6. Following this coverage the charity was inundated with threatening and abusive calls and emails.

7. You also shared the names of schools involved in Schools of Sanctuary online and some of these schools were subsequently harassed online or by far right groups.

If you wish to contest any of the above points please specify which you are contesting and provide supporting documentation.

In the interests of fairness, accuracy and balance, we would like to offer you the opportunity to respond to these findings by 4pm on 1 July.

Kind regards,

Emiliano Mellino

The gist of the article is that “a rightwing blogger” (yours truly) sparked a “media storm” over City of Sanctuary’s “Schools of Sanctuary” scheme, and that the charity sector is being subjected to the Far Right and misinformation.

To recap, last year I wrote about the fact that City of Sanctuary, via its Schools of Sanctuary programme, was encouraging children to make Valentine’s cards for asylum seekers.

Following my reporting, there was understandably a public outcry and some people complained to the Charity Commission. However, in April this year the Commission decided that City of Sanctuary UK had faced a “misinformation campaign” and that the cards were merely “heart-shaped general messages of welcome for refugees”.

Ever since the Commission concluded its case, City of Sanctuary UK has been complaining about how hard things have been for it. Its CEO told TBIJ that staff at City of Sanctuary “were experiencing panic attacks [and] had to have therapy”, because of the far-right media storm, and how she had ended up with “high blood pressure”:

Obviously I condemn anyone who is abusive or threatening to charities or otherwise. At the same time I’m concerned that fair reporting and criticism of City of Sanctuary are being increasingly lumped together with “the Far Right” in a way that threatens free speech.

For instance, TBIJ’s piece explains how Richard Donaldson (“a conspiracy theorist”) and I “were among those who posted lists of the schools that were part of the Schools of Sanctuary programme.”

Although the article’s author, Emiliano Mellino, adds that “Neither called for their followers to send abuse to any of the schools, but some on the list ended up being targeted”, the subtext is that we shared information that put schools at risk.

In reality, City of Sanctuary was “proud” to post a “List of Schools of Sanctuary” on its website (in a now deleted page that I archived), linking to some schools’ own websites “or an article showing some of their work towards the award”.

The charity, and schools associated with the scheme, were clearly happy to share that information publicly. That’s until it didn’t lead to the reaction they wanted.

City of Sanctuary - which has been enormously successful at turning the UK into a series of “Sanctuary” administrations, meaning they go out of their way to welcome refugees/ asylum seekers - is not alone in acting like a victim in response to legitimate scrutiny of its activities.

Recently I received a newsletter update from “Tim” at Refugee Action, a charity that received £16,765,000 from taxpayers between 2021-25 and gets millions in funding each year:

The subject of the email was “A difficult update from me” (Tim) and it described how Refugee Action was “facing financial challenges”, adding: “The growing demonisation of refugees in the politics and the media, alongside wider pressures on the charity sector, has made fundraising harder. At the same time, the government has reduced funding for some of our services.”

The message is clear: we are all supposed to feel sorry for these poor little charities.

Actually, they are extremely successful at lobbying and very well funded, hence why it’s never been more important for journalists like me to continue reporting on them.

Southwark Council funded a “Queer Ecology” event, I can reveal to readers.

Taking place last Friday, the “ecology walk and improvisation-based movement session” offered LGBTQI+ people the chance to “pause with plants and local wildlife, uncovering the queer histories embedded in ecologies around us.”

“Whilst we practise sensing, feeling and moving as and with these queerly fugitive plant bodies, we will also consider what we might offer in return”, reads the description for Queer Ecology: noticing, feeling, moving, which was hosted by the The Siobhan Davies Dance Company.

It generously welcomed “those with intersectional and emerging queer life experiences which may situate them against normative expectations (whether this is through racialisation, disability, class and more).”

You can find all sorts of other crazy sentences on the event listing:

The Siobhan Davies Dance Company - which put on four Pride events in total, including a “Queer Takeover” - was one of 15 recipients of Southwark’s Pride fund 2026, which saw £30,000 split between each winner.

Other taxpayer-funded events included:

• A Pride celebration creative workshop at Art Block for local children at the South London Gallery;

• Queer Minds Trans Care Day, hosted by South East London Mind; and

• Queer Speech Karaoke for young people and families and a later 18+ version for older groups, hosted by This is Arcade CIC.

Meanwhile Southwark Council recently announced it has a funding gap of around £100 MILLION:

Is it any wonder when it’s spending money on the exploration of “queerly fugitive plant bodies”?!

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Miatta Fahnbulleh has just become the UK Energy Secretary. As my subscribers will know, I have been covering her for quite some time - especially her attendance at the Soros-funded New Economy Organisers Network.

I’ve collated all my articles in one place so you can see what we’re in for:

Plus, list of people who have been trained by NEON (this will be added to as and when):

• Faiza Shaheen

• Zoe Gardner

• Grace Blakeley

• Gary Stevenson and Patriotic Millionaires (which he is a founding member of)

• Dr Andrew Meyerson (appeared in Gary Stevenson’s Channel 4 documentary)

• Dr Jeevun Sandher, another Labour MP

• Maya Goodfellow (writes ghastly articles for The Guardian)

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In my GB News interview yesterday, I spoke about the left-wing groups pressuring Andy Burnham to introduce Proportional Representation (PR).

One of these is Compass. It’s not exactly a household name, but it’s a very big player when it comes to socialist organising.

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Twitter link

Full show

Yesterday it was announced that Matthew McGregor had been appointed as Director of Political Strategy for Andy Burnham in no 10.

McGregor was once Director of Campaigns and Communications for Hope Not Hate, which many people understandably focused on.

But his current organisation, 38 Degrees, is just as odious.

On the surface of it, 38 Degrees looks like a people-powered petition site, which it is to some degree. It’s just that these people are the Hard Left.

Nowhere is this more obvious than 38 Degrees’ Instagram feed, which is full of posts about how terrible Reform/ billionaires are; why we need to put water into public ownership (as a pretext to nationalising everything); and how evil big oil is. In other words, a bog standard Hard Left agenda.

That you can see Gary Stevenson multiple times is not random.

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Over the last couple of weeks, Southwark Council has been introducing people to its Executive Members on Instagram - and it ain’t pretty.

In the last local elections, Southwark ended up with no party majority and is now run by 29 Labour councillors, 22 Greens and 12 Liberal Democrats, with the council being led by a Green.

What’s interesting is the increasingly ridiculous titles councillors are now given, including the “Executive Member for Inclusive Economy, Equalities and Democracy” and “Executive Member for Council Co-ordination and Climate”.

Then we get to the biographies of these people, who list Palestine activism, going to raves and supporting the Latin American community as interests (what happened to representing England and the UK?! Ya know, the country we live in???).

According to Southwark’s website, councillors get an allowance of £15,060, with those who take on extra roles entitled to a “Special Responsibility Allowance”, which can be anything from “£3,453 for roles including deputy leader of the opposition, to £62,365 which is paid to the Leader of the Council.” There are 63 councillors in total.

Anyway, here’s the fabulous team! (I’ve singled out the most striking examples but you can find the full list here and here). Genuinely, I didn’t know which party each councillor represented when I chose my examples from Instagram, but surprise surprise, the nutty ones are mostly Green!

Councillor Eloise Waldon-Day, Executive Member for Council Co-ordination and Climate (Green Party)

“I’ve spent my career working on women’s rights and climate policy, and I’ve been a climate activist in Southwark for many years.

“I believe tackling the climate crisis should make everyday life better too - with cleaner air, warmer homes, more green space, and stronger protection from heat and flooding. We need to cut the emissions driving climate breakdown while helping our communities adapt to the impacts we’re already seeing.”

Councillor James McAsh: Leader of Southwark Council (Green)

“Having been the councillor for Goose Green, in East Dulwich, since 2018, I am now also the first ever Green Leader of Southwark Council.

“Previously, I spent ten years as a primary school teacher in Brixton, and as an active trade unionist.”

Southwark Green Party posted this image about their leader on Instagram:

Councillor George Grime, Deputy Executive Member for Tenant and Leaseholder Services (Green)

“I love Southwark - where I’ve lived for 46 years. I retired recently from a professional career in social housing, mostly in Southwark, and I’m passionate about the contribution that well-managed Council housing can make to people’s lives - providing security, underpinning community, and helping our children to thrive.

“I’m a member of the UVW trade union, support the cause of the Palestinians and aim to play a part in defeating the politics of division and hate being promoted by the far right.”

Councillor Lina Usma, Deputy Executive Member for Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (Liberal Democrats)

“Originally from Colombia and living in the UK since 1996, I’ve spent many years championing our diverse communities. Through London’s largest Spanish-language newspaper, I’ve supported the Latin American community and have worked closely with the voluntary and community sector (VCS).

“I am passionate about strengthening Southwark’s VCS, ensuring local businesses and organisations have the support they need to help residents, reduce inequalities and build stronger communities.”

Councillor Victor Chamberlain: Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Planning, Infrastructure and Wellbeing (Liberal Democrats)

“I’ve been a councillor since 2018, proudly serving the residents of Borough and Bankside - the area I call home.

“My professional background is in the NHS, affordable housing and major regeneration projects.

I’m also Chair of Pride in Southwark and champion LGBTQ+ rights within the council.”

Councillor Janice White, Deputy Executive Member for Culture (Green)

“I represent Dulwich Hill ward, and have lived in Southwark for 30 years. I am proud to run a local communications business working with arts and culture organisations, helping them connect with people and tell their stories.

“As Deputy Executive Member for Culture, I am focused on supporting Southwark’s arts and culture sector to thrive, especially in the face of rising costs and ongoing challenges. I firmly believe every resident has the right to experience great culture, and that our borough’s diversity is also its cultural strength.”

Councillor Suzanne Wise, Deputy Executive Member for Adult Services (Green)

“I have worked in the corporate world for most of my career, often as the first and only woman in the boardroom, and this has fuelled a passion for diversity and inclusion. I have recently retired from that career, and I use all my time and energy to make the world greener, more affordable and fairer.

“As well as my council role I chair a London environmental charity that works to protect and enhance our precious green spaces, and I can be found in our parks often. I am currently halfway through walking London’s Capital Ring.”

Councillor Vanessa Threadgold: Executive Member for Parks and Recreation (Green)

“I am proud to have called Southwark home for 14 years - I am passionate about the green spaces within it and people feeling connected ownership to the place in which they live.

“Previously I founded Cactus City Studio, a feminist music organisation and living wage employer, and worked in resolving disputes at the financial ombudsman. I teach Pilates, am an advocate for functional fitness, and have long been a friend of local parks. I also enjoy raves and taking excellent photographs.”

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Earlier this month Angela Rayner delivered the keynote speech at the 40th anniversary of the New Economics Foundation, where she “spoke about the power of devolution.” In a tweet, she wrote “After forty years, NEF’s mission may be unfinished. But it is more vital than ever.”

Another MP to attend was Miatta Fahnbulleh, who is being talked about as the economic mastermind behind Andy Burnham and was once the Chief Executive of the NEF. Fahnbulleh posted that it was “Fantastic to celebrate 40 years of NEF and its huge contribution to economic thinking & progressive ideas.”

It’s pretty obvious from these endorsements alone that the NEF is a big player in left-wing circles, but there’s also ample proof on its website. For instance, one of the think tank’s missions is a “fast and fair transition to a green economy through a deep and equitable transformation to address the climate crisis” and in a post titled “Share the wealth”, it has written about why “richest few are taking too much”. Its website is littered with more ideological nonsense.

With that being said, I wonder why taxpayers are expected to fund the NEF year by year? (which received £379,500 from taxpayers between 2021-25). Especially when (as I will show in this article), right-wing think tanks do not get the same government income.

Shockingly, it’s far from the first left-wing think tank to receive government funding. Other examples (and this is just a small sample) are:

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Today I wanted to explore the European Climate Foundation (ECF), a grant-making foundation that frequently comes up when I am researching globalist bodies. For instance, it funds C40 Cities, the supposedly environmentalist blob which Sadiq Khan is co-chair of; The New Economy Organisers Network, an organisation that gives media training to activists to “create positive social change”; and Climate Spring, a global organisation that is trying to embed climate “storytelling” into TV and theatre productions:

Established in 2008, the ECF says its “mission is to empower people across society to create a net-zero world”, working with “over 700+ partner organisations to drive progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, promote practical policymaking in response to the climate crisis, and broaden political and public support for net zero.”

Its CEO Laurence Tubiana was a key architect of the Paris Agreement and is the United Nations High Level Champion for Climate Action. As the UN website puts it, “She has been a member of numerous boards and scientific committees, including the Chinese Committee on the Environment and International Development”, among other achievements.

The ECF has its head office in The Hague, The Netherlands, with “foundation offices” in Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, London, Madrid, Paris and Warsaw, “as well as a dedicated EU institutions and governance programme based in Brussels.”

Its total expenditure for 2025 was €171 million, thanks to the following funders: the McCall MacBain Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Arcadia, Robert Bosch Stiftung (stiftung is German for “foundation”), Sequoia Climate Foundation, Climate Works Foundation, AKO Foundation, Laudes Foundation, Porticus, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Climate Imperative Foundation, KR Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, IKEA Foundation, Rainier Climate, Postcode Lottery Netherlands, Quadrature Climate Foundation and Oak Foundation. (The KR Foundation and Quadrature Climate Foundation also fund Climate Spring).

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A round-up of my articles this week:

Further reading:

In my last piece, I said I would next write about Faiza Shaheen, who appears in the Channel 4 documentary, How to Get Filthy Rich with Gary Stevenson.

Introducing Shaheen, Stevenson says “Dr Faiza Shaheen is the Executive Director of Tax Justice UK, an economist and an advocate for reform of the tax system.” All true, by the way. They warmly embrace and are shown appearing at an event together.

Shaheen, like the NHS doctor in Stevenson’s documentary, is another alumni of The New Economy Organisers Network, a media school that has received funding from the likes of the Open Society Foundations and the European Climate Foundation.

NEON has been keen to show off Shaheen from its “Spokeperson Network”…

.. and she has thanked it for “Some of the best training I’ve ever had, allowing me to hone the craft of media interviews and giving me much more confidence.”

Like I said in my last piece, NEON not only trains activists but has a whole range of messaging guides online, including one on a wealth tax.

I cannot say which activists have read it, but Stevenson and Shaheen have both proposed a two percent tax on wealth over £10 million, a suggestion that’s in the guide.

Stevenson repeats it in his documentary, and Shaheen in an article for The Guardian (more in my piece below):

The proposal initially came from joint research (published in 2023) between Patriotic Millionaires UK and Tax Justice UK, the former of which Stevenson is a founding member of and the latter Shaheen became Executive Director of in 2025.

The research is linked to in NEON’s wealth tax guide, which was co-authored with Paul Hebden, who is now a Communications Adviser at the IPPR.

Previously he was Deputy Director of Communications for Tax Justice UK, which is generally a very big beast in the wealth tax push.

During the documentary, Stevenson says “my proposal is a 2% tax on wealth of above £10 million”.

Is it his proposal, though?

Or the cumulation of lots of activist groups behind the scenes?

To be clear, they’re not doing anything illegal - maybe the Right could even learn from it - but it’s certainly taking a lot of effort to convince people a wealth tax is a good idea!

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At around 35 mins in the Channel 4 documentary, How to Get Filthy Rich with Gary Stevenson, Stevenson and his activist group Patriotic Millionaires UK join a protest “alongside workers at the sharp end of cuts to our public services.”

One of these workers is Andrew Meyerson, “a doctor working for the NHS”, whom Stevenson asks “can you see poverty growing in this country?” Meyerson goes on to list “all the public services that have been taken from us over the last decade”, prompting Stevenson to shed a tear.

Post-interview, a shaken Stevenson says “obviously you see a doctor working in the NHS coming out, shivering in the cold, no jacket, listing off all the services that have been cut. It’s emotion, isn’t it? What can you say? Emotion.”

But who is this doctor? Well, Meyerson is actually something of a mega activist who is currently the CEO of campaign group “EveryDoctor”. On its website, his bio mentions he has been “has been a prominent campaigner within the SOSNHS coalition alongside Keep Our NHS Public, Just Treatment, NHS Workers Say No, and We Own It”, the latter being an organisation that fights for most/ all UK services to be put into public ownership.

Not only that but Meyerson was trained at the New Economy Organisers Network (NEON), a media school for left-wing activists. Notable alumni include left-wing activist Grace Blakeley, open-border-lover Zoe Gardner, Labour MPs Miatta Fahnbulleh and Dr Jeevun Sandher MP, and Corbynista Faiza Shaheen, who stood as an Independent candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green in 2024’s General Election (and who appears at the end of Stevenson’s documentary).

NEON offers everything from hostile panel training to messaging guides, including one published on 17 June 2024 on “How to talk about Taxing wealth”. One of its proposals is in Stevenson’s documentary (more on this and Shaheen in my next piece).

Meyerson was trained by NEON in 2022, through its “Spokesperson Network” programme (essentially getting activists geared up for media):

You can see him at the back:

He’s also promoted on NEON’s feed:

NEON is funded by the European Climate Foundation, Urban Movement Innovation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Polden Puckham, Partners for a New Economy, Oak Foundation, Friends Provident, JRF, Unbound Philanthropy, Paul Hamlyn, among many others.

It also received $1,822,049 from George Soros’s Open Society Foundations between 2016-22:

The super rich, ey!

If you want to find out more about Meyerson, head to his X feed where you can find a veritable feast of ghastly socialist content (think retweets of the Good Law Project, Zohran Mamdani…

… and Richard Burgon (who has campaigned for Patriotic Millionaires UK):

What a small world!

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The guide I will show you today was prepared by the New Economy Organisers Network (NEON), an organisation that claims to “help social justice movements win” - mostly by preparing left-wing activists for air. Alumni include Faiza Shaheen who - guess what?! - lobbies for wealth taxes:

Anyone can go onto NEON’s website and access messaging guides on how to advocate for anything from “How to talk about Protest” to “ULEZ and Air pollution”, complete with advice on what words to say/ not say:

NEON is very well-funded, thanks to the “European Climate Foundation, Urban Movement Innovation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Polden Puckham, Partners for a New Economy, Oak Foundation, Friends Provident, JRF, Unbound Philanthropy, Paul Hamlyn, among many others.” These organisations often come up when I am researching ghastly left-wing funding eg. who’s behind the promotion of open borders.

George Soros’s Open Society Foundations also awarded NEON $1,822,049 between 2016-22:

In short, powerful people, who constantly meddle in our democracy, are funding NEON - which in turn pumps out left-wing activists to help manufacture consent for policies. I have written a lot about who has been trained by NEON, including Andy Burnham’s new “policy guru”, as Politico put it:

It’s important to say that we do not know who has read or used parts of the scripts, although I did find stats from NEON’s wealth tax script in Faiza Shaheen’s article for The Guardian explaining why a “wealth tax is really [Rachel Reeves’] only viable option.” A coincidence? (see below for full details).

I just find it fascinating that these scripts exist at all. What I’ve generally found is that the wealth tax movement is coming from the US and EU, with socialist activists (the kind of people who’d vote for Zack Polanski) doing their bidding. Again, it’s worth checking out these pieces to get the details:

Without further ado, I will paste the whole wealth tax script published by NEON below. NB. It was published/ written while Rishi Sunak was Prime Minister, but that doesn’t mean the messaging isn’t being used today:

This post is free to read. Fund my independent journalism by taking out a subscription or making a donation on Buy Me a Coffee. With a subscription you will get:

Full access to all investigations and the research archive

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be able to comment on posts and discuss investigations

Thank you to everyone who has funded and supported my work!

This post is free to read. Fund my independent journalism by taking out a subscription or making a donation on Buy Me a Coffee. With a subscription you will get:

Full access to all investigations and the research archive

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be able to comment on posts and discuss investigations

Thank you to everyone who has funded and supported my work!

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More on Mete Coban, London’s £151,465 Deputy Mayor of the Environment who faked a football career, and has a huge carbon footprint from flying around the world:

Today I will explain how climate storytelling is being embedded into TV and theatre thanks to the work of a well-funded “global organisation” called Climate Spring, whose partners include ITV, Channel 4 and The Cannes Film Festival.

This is in addition to the Government’s own efforts to embed messaging on the climate (and otherwise) into soap operas and entertainment shows, as exposed last year by Lewis Brackpool. We are being targeted from every angle!

Climate Spring - whose funders are mostly private (more on them later) but also receives funding from the Wellcome Trust, which received £105,998,100 from taxpayers between 2020-24 - says it “champions the power of storytelling to transform our cultural response to the climate crisis” and works “with the screen industries to tell compelling stories that resonate, inspire and reach global audiences.”

Its full list of partners are:

• Quay Street Productions

• Hat Trick

• TOD Productions

• Yellow Dot Studios

• Last Conker

• Mammoth Screen

• All3Media

• ITV

• Channel 4

• Film London

• BFI (British Film Institute)

• Festival de Cannes

• Women in Film & Television (WFTV)

• Pulse Films

• Objective Media Group

• Brooklyn

Climate Spring works on everything from script development to “editorial consulting on the climate elements of film and TV content” to “world-building workshops”:

What does this look like in practice?

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