Sam Bright
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Investigative journalist, author, and Yorkshireman. Now inhabits Substack and Bluesky.
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Articles by Sam Bright
In Their Own Words: The Senior Reform and Tory Figures Who Have Lauded Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump suffered a spectacular setback in the country’s midterm elections this week, with Democrats taking control of Congress and the Republicans losing races in their traditional heartlands. The election was a rebuke to Trump’s increasingly unpopular presidency. Voters expressed frustration with the cost of living and the economy, while the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran – which has driven up fuel prices – has proven to be a major political liability.
Millions Of Dollars Pouring Into UK Democracy From Trump’s America
Above photo: A DeSmog collage of Donald Trump and Big Ben. This funding “poses urgent questions for the government.” MPs and leading UK think tanks have received major sums from U.S. benefactors – often with ties to U.S. President Donald Trump – since the 2024 general election, DeSmog can reveal.
Reform Figure Behind ‘Shocking’ Grenfell Comments Still Involved in Party
A former housing executive fired by Reform UK for making “shameful” comments about the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy still claims to have a role in the party, DeSmog can reveal. Simon Dudley, a former chair of Homes England, was removed as the party’s housing spokesperson for making – in the words of Reform leader Nigel Farage – “shocking” and “deeply inappropriate” comments about the disaster.
New on Google Play: More ways to create, discover, and play
Google Play connects you with the apps and games you love. Today, it's becoming the place you go to connect with the ones that you create, making it possible for anyone with an idea to build a personal app and run it on Google Play. We're also introducing new ways to discover and play that put you in control. Here’s what’s new on Google Play.
Tony Blair Institute Brings Gas-Guzzling Tech Giants to Labour Conference
LIVERPOOL – The think tank led by former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair has hosted a number of events sponsored by Trump-donating tech firms at this year’s party conference. The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) has hosted panels featuring, and sponsored by, big tech companies that are driving a dramatic expansion of fossil fuel production in order to power their energy intensive data centres.
Reform Receives £5 Million from International Investors
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK received just shy of £5 million from 17 global financiers and businesspeople in the second quarter of this year, DeSmog can reveal. The party has been embroiled in scandal after an undercover investigation by Verbatim Investigations, broadcast by Channel 4, appears to show the party conspiring to accept donations from foreign sources. Two of Reform’s most senior figures have now resigned following the documentary, though both deny wrongdoing – as does the party.
Oil Lobbyists, Anti-Abortion Groups, and Tech Giants Flock to Reform Conference
Corporate titans including Google, Meta, and TikTok will be appearing at Reform UK’s annual conference this week, rubbing shoulders with fossil fuel interests, far-right politicians, and Christian rights groups. The conference, designed to showcase the party’s policies and politicians, will be attended by figures from some of the world’s biggest tech companies – several of which have donated to funds and projects associated with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Tethered: How the White House is Helping Reform’s Finances
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has stood to gain financially from the crypto connections linking it to Donald Trump’s administration, DeSmog can report. Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been accused of shaping laws that have benefitted Tether, a firm that issues the most traded cryptocurrency in the world. Lutnick’s family owns Cantor Fitzgerald, which holds a stake in Tether and provides financial services to the crypto giant.
Rupert Lowe’s Online Child Safety Investment Clashes with Elon Musk Alliance
Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe has been slammed for maintaining a close relationship with Elon Musk while holding shares in an online child safety business. Far-right tech billionaire Musk, the richest person in the world, owns the social media site X (formerly known as Twitter), which has been used to produce sexually explicit images of women and children.
Investigate Reform MP Over Donation, Campaigners Demand
Sarah Pochin, Reform UK MP for Runcorn and Helsby, is facing pressure over a £5,000 donation from food industry millionaires that stand to benefit from her campaigning. According to an investigation by the Good Law Project and DeSmog, Pochin accepted the payment from Catherine Wantling of Etonbrook Ltd on 19 May to support the work of her parliamentary office.
Nigel Farage Made £2.3 Million in Two Years While Serving as Clacton’s MP
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage amassed £2.3 million in income and gifts during his first two years in Parliament, DeSmog can report. On 7 July, Farage announced that he would be resigning as Clacton’s MP in order to trigger a by-election. The Reform leader has been under investigation by Parliament’s standards commissioner over the £5 million undeclared gift that he accepted from billionaire crypto investor Christopher Harborne, the party’s biggest donor, before the 2024 general election.
Nigel Farage Made £2.3 Million in Two Years While Serving as Clacton’s MP
Welcome to EcoTopical Your daily eco-friendly green news aggregator. Leaf through planet Earths environmental headlines in one convenient place. Read, share and discover the latest on ecology, science and green living from the web's most popular sites.
Farage and Truss Jamboree Backed by Crypto Lobbyists
Nigel Farage is set to headline at a right-wing event backed by a Bitcoin lobby group, amid a political furore over his ties to crypto investors. The Reform UK leader will be the star speaker at the inaugural CPAC Great Britain conference next week at the InterContinental O2 hotel in London.
Nigel Farage Has Mentioned Clacton Only Twice in Commons During Past Year
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has only mentioned his constituency twice in the House of Commons during the past year, DeSmog can reveal. In total, Farage has mentioned Clacton six times since being elected as an MP on 4 July 2024 – once every four months. The Reform leader announced today that he would be triggering a by-election in Clacton – in which he intends to stand – in response to negative media coverage of the substantial gifts that he has received from party donors.
GB News co-owner 'cashing in on climate chaos' after leap in fossil fuel investments, critics say
The hedge fund run by the co-owner of GB News almost tripled its investments in fossil fuel companies in the first quarter of 2026 to $2.8bn (£2.1bn), the Guardian can reveal. Critics have accused Sir Paul Marshall of “cashing in on climate chaos” and have claimed the news channel, which frequently attacks climate science and action, was “working in its owner's financial interests”.
GB News co-owner 'cashing in on climate chaos' after leap in fossil fuel investments, critics say
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Trump Donors, Billionaires And Oil Companies Fund The Alliance For Responsible Citizenship
Above photo: Tory peer Philippa Stroud, chair of the government’s Low Pay Commission, and CEO of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship. ARC. The conference has played host to Nigel Farage, Kemi Badenoch, and an array of MAGA figures this week. A high-profile conference for right-wing activists gathering in London this week has been funded by a host of American fossil fuel interests, major Trump donors, and billionaires who have bankrolled UK political parties,Unearthedand DeSmog have found.
Revealed: The Trump Donors, Reform-Backing Billionaires and Oil Companies Funding the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship
A high-profile conference for right-wing activists gathering in London this week has been funded by a host of American fossil fuel interests, major Trump donors, and billionaires who have bankrolled UK political parties, Unearthed and DeSmog have found.
Senior UK Politicians to Mix With Oil Execs, Far-Right Figures, and Anti-Abortion Activists at London Conference
Dozens of British MPs and peers will rub shoulders with politicians from the European far right, Trump donors and American climate change deniers at a major right-wing event returning to London next week, documents can reveal. The UK-based Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) is an international network for right-wing activists and thought leaders that aims to “re-lay the foundations of our civilisation”.
Zia Yusuf Cosying Up to Group Behind ‘Authoritarian’ Project 2025 Agenda
Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf is set to speak tomorrow at the Heritage Foundation, the group behind the “extreme” ‘Project 2025’ playbook for Donald Trump’s second term. Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesperson, is jetting to Washington, D.C., for an event with Nile Gardiner, director of the Heritage Foundation’s ‘Thatcher Center’.
Nigel Farage to Speak at Liz Truss’ CPAC GB Event
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has announced that he will be speaking at CPAC GB in July – the pro-Trump conference brought to the UK by disgraced former prime minister Liz Truss. Reform sources speaking to The Guardian previously suggested that Farage would be “steering well clear” of the event, following Truss’ involvement.
Nigel Farage to Speak at Liz Truss’ CPAC GB Event
Welcome to EcoTopical Your daily eco-friendly green news aggregator. Leaf through planet Earths environmental headlines in one convenient place. Read, share and discover the latest on ecology, science and green living from the web's most popular sites.
Nigel Farage and Lee Anderson Have Made £1 Million from GB News
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and party chair Lee Anderson have raked in more than £1 million from the right-wing broadcaster GB News, DeSmog can reveal. Farage has earned more than £700,000 from the broadcaster since he was elected to Parliament in July 2024, while Anderson has made over £300,000 during his three years as a presenter on the channel. GB News, launched in June 2021, has been accused of becoming “Reform TV” for hiring party figures as presenters and mirroring its talking points.
What if Reform wins
Fascinating but horrifying conversation--especially after reading a lot about Lowe & Restore, his following on X, dragging Reform to the right--and makes me curious to read Peter's book "What if Reform Wins?". Meanwhile it's hard to understand why Labour appears so complacent about FPTP as the electoral system likely to give Reform a majority in the next general election, on less than 30% of the vote...
Reform ‘Advisor’ Launches Climate Denial Group in Poland
A close ally of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has helped to launch the central European offshoot of a U.S. climate denial group alongside far-right figures. Lois Perry – executive director of Heartland UK-Europe – claimed on social media last week that she was “In Poland to launch [the] Heartland Institute Central Europe”.
Ignore the Hype. The Election Results Show Reform Is in Reverse
It has been two years since Labour released that election poster – the one with a stern Keir Starmer, white shirt and rolled-up sleeves, looking like a doctor delivering bad news. The leaflet featured one word, “change” – an idea that is now eating the Labour Party. People don’t think that Labour has delivered change – or at least not quickly enough – and are now jumping ship. Despite what some Labour MPs believe, these voters aren’t all leaping rightwards.
Ignore the Hype. The Election Results Show Reform Is in Reverse
It has been two years since Labour released that election poster – the one with a stern Keir Starmer, white shirt and rolled-up sleeves, looking like a doctor delivering bad news. The leaflet featured one word, “change” – an idea that is now eating the Labour Party. People don’t think that Labour has delivered change – or at least not quickly enough – and are now jumping ship. Despite what some Labour MPs believe, these voters aren’t all leaping rightwards.
Nigel Farage Has Accepted £2 Million Since Becoming an MP
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has banked more than £2 million in earnings and gifts since becoming an MP, DeSmog can reveal. Farage has come under fire in recent days for failing to declare a £5 million gift from major Reform donor Christopher Harborne prior to the 2024 general election, potentially in violation of parliamentary rules. Despite this tax-free handout, Farage has used his time in Parliament to earn millions from second jobs, speaking events, and trips abroad.
Revealed: Reform’s £24 Million from Fossil Fuel Interests
Reform UK has received £24 million from oil and gas interests, accounting for more than two thirds of its total income, DeSmog can reveal. Led by Nigel Farage, the party is calling for new North Sea oil and gas drilling ahead of UK-wide elections in May on the ill-founded claim that it will cut energy bills. DeSmog’s analysis reveals that 67 percent of Reform’s funding to date has come from donors with financial interests in fossil fuels, totalling more than £24 million.
Who Funds Nigel Farage? Mapping His Millions
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is the highest-paid Member of Parliament. In less than two years as the MP for Clacton, Farage has racked up £2 million in personal income and gifts, on top of his £94,000 a year parliamentary salary. As DeSmog has revealed, a substantial amount of Farage’s income has come from overseas interests – including foreign governments, companies, and donors. Our map and tracker, launched in April 2026, provides real-time data on Farage’s funds.
Nigel Farage Has Personally Accepted £675,000 from Foreign Sources
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has accepted more than half a million pounds from foreign companies, governments, and donors while serving as an MP, DeSmog can reveal. Since July 2024, when he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Clacton, Farage has received almost £2 million in income and gifts, with £675,000 coming from foreign sources. Of Farage’s 28 benefactors, 20 are based abroad (71 percent).
Nigel Farage Has Personally Accepted £675,000 from Foreign Sources
Welcome to EcoTopical Your daily eco-friendly green news aggregator. Leaf through planet Earths environmental headlines in one convenient place. Read, share and discover the latest on ecology, science and green living from the web's most popular sites.
Reform’s Matthew Goodwin Challenged on Orbán Funding Ties at Budapest Event
Reform UK politician Matthew Goodwin was taken to task over his financial links to Viktor Orbán’s ousted government at a post-election event in Budapest yesterday. Despite offering no commentary on the election result online, Goodwin travelled to Hungary’s capital to headline an event hosted by Orbán’s in-house think tank and training school, Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC).
The Vested Interests Lobbying for North Sea Oil and Gas Expansion
In the wake of the fossil fuel crisis created by Donald Trump’s war in Iran, a host of influential figures and groups in the UK have been calling not for the rapid rollout of renewable energy, but a growing reliance on oil and gas. They have been calling for ramped up exploration of the UK’s declining North Sea basin – and, as Carbon Brief has shown, their core arguments are based on falsehoods.
BBC accused of making 'propaganda' films for Saudi sovereign wealth fund
Helena Horton and Sam Bright The BBC has been accused of making “glossy propaganda films” for Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund and taking money from a “repressive regime”. BBC Storyworks , the corporation's commercial arm, has entered into a partnership with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). The broadcaster has made a series of films and written articles lauding the country's supposedly progressive attitude to women and eco-friendly credentials.
BBC Under Fire for Producing Paid ‘Propaganda’ for Saudi Arabia
The BBC has been accused of creating “propaganda films” for Saudi Arabia, the state behind the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, DeSmog and The Guardian can reveal. The broadcaster has accepted money to produce a series of “glossy” films on behalf of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is controlled by Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
Reform Policy Chief James Orr Shared Stage With White Nationalist
Reform UK’s head of policy James Orr spoke alongside a white nationalist politician at a conference in Hungary last weekend (21 March), DeSmog can reveal. Orr made an appearance at CPAC Hungary, a political festival closely associated with Donald Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement. CPAC has also lent its support in recent years to Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán, who is standing for re-election in April.
Reform Policy Chief James Orr Shared Stage With White Nationalist
Welcome to EcoTopical Your daily eco-friendly green news aggregator. Leaf through planet Earths environmental headlines in one convenient place. Read, share and discover the latest on ecology, science and green living from the web's most popular sites.
Nigel Farage's policy chief shared stage with 'white nationalist' politician
Sam Bright Reform UK's head of policy James Orr has been slammed for speaking at a conference alongside a white nationalist politician. As uncovered by investigations platform DeSmog and the Daily Mirror , Dr Orr spoke at CPAC Hungary in Budapest on March 21, sharing a stage with Martin Helme, the leader of the far-right Estonian Conservative People's Party. In 2013, Mr Helme said that his immigration policy was “If you're Black, go back,” adding: “I want Estonia to be a white country”.
Kemi Badenoch Accepted £7,500 Retreat from Chair of Climate Denial Group
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch enjoyed a £7,500 getaway in February at the home of an influential anti-climate donor, DeSmog can reveal. New records show that Badenoch and four members of her family spent six days at a residence owned by Neil Record, a former currency trader who chairs Net Zero Watch, one of the UK’s leading climate science denial campaign groups.
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For GB News’s funders, £130 million is a small price to pay for vast influence
GB News has filed its latest accounts, and the headline figures are difficult to spin – even by the notoriously fact-sceptic broadcaster. It has now lost £131 million since its launch in mid-2021, racking up another £26 million during the latest period – the year to May 2025. To some extent, GB News has achieved a feat simply by making it this far.
BBC Under Fire for Airing MAGA Climate Denial
The BBC has been slammed for allowing a pro-Trump figure to express climate science denial on one of its flagship programmes. This morning (13 February), the Today programme gave a platform to Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a former Trump advisor and staff member at the Heritage Foundation.
Trump Accused of Trying to ‘Divide and Destabilise’ Europe Through New MAGA Fund
Plans by the Donald Trump administration to fund right-wing groups in Europe have been slammed by policymakers and campaigners as an effort to “usurp European democracy”. According to the Financial Times, the U.S. State Department plans to bankroll think tanks and charities in the UK and Europe which share President Trump’s agenda, with particular focus on blocking attempts to regulate U.S. social media platforms.
Nigel Farage Racks Up £151,000 in Donor-Funded Flights to Support Donald Trump
Nigel Farage’s donors have paid for him to take trips around the world to the tune of £151,000 since July 2024, DeSmog can reveal. Farage jetted off to the elite networking forum Davos in Switzerland last week during which he stated that the world would be a “better place” if the U.S. took control of Greenland – an objective of U.S. President Donald Trump. His trip was paid for by the family trust of Iranian billionaire Sasan Ghandehari, a venture capitalist.
ICE thugs are coming to Britain
It’s the oldest cliché in international affairs: “When America sneezes, the world catches a cold.” And, right now, a lot of countries are suffering from Trump-like symptoms. There’s a particularly toxic mutation of Trumpism circulating British right-wing politics currently, which seems to manifest through the sycophantic worship of the U.S. president mixed with a sharp strain of national self-loathing.
Reform ‘Cosying Up to Authoritarian Petrostate’
Senior figures in Reform UK have been developing close connections to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), an authoritarian, monarchic state with vast fossil fuel resources. New records show that party leader Nigel Farage was funded to attend the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi in December by the city’s government. The trip, for Farage and a “non-staff member”, cost £10,000 and included meetings in the UAE capital, according to Farage’s register of interests.
Nigel Farage Accepted £10,000 Gifts from Petrostate
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage received freebies worth £10,000 from the Abu Dhabi government, new records show. Farage’s latest register of interests shows that he accepted flights and accommodation to attend the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix in December, paid for by the regime that runs the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This included a front-row “paddock” pass to the event worth £4,500. The records show that Farage also attended “meetings” during his visit.
The Institute of Economic Affairs Banked £640,000 from Oil Giants and Murdoch
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) – the anti-state, anti-climate pressure group – received more than £640,000 from fossil fuel companies and Rupert Murdoch’s media conglomerate between 1957 and 2005, DeSmog can reveal. Archive records seen by DeSmog show that the group, which has campaigned for more fossil fuel extraction and against government climate action, received more than £150,000 from BP, £124,000 from Esso (owned by ExxonMobil), and £106,000 from Shell.
Farage rescued (for now) by mega donor
New records have been released today showing political party income in the third quarter of this year, and Reform has declared a windfall – £10.5 million, the biggest sum of any UK party. However, scratch the surface, and things aren’t all that rosy for Reform. A staggering £9 million was donated in the period from one individual – Christopher Harborne, the crypto investor.
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