Farage ‘Guest of Honour’ at Heartland UK Launch

The Heartland Institute, a prominent American ThinkTank founded in 1984, by David H. Padden, is known for its conservative and libertarian stances. It has garnered attention for its controversial positions, particularly its rejection of the scientific consensus on climate change and its historical campaigns challenging the health risks of smoking.

James Taylor, the current president of The Hartland Institute, describes the organisation as a “free-market think tank known globally as the world’s most prominent think tank supporting scepticism about man-made climate change”. The institute has been known to draw extreme comparisons between climate change proponents and terrorists.

The Institute has close ties with the incoming Trump administration and has received funding from Republican donors. 

The event in December was for the launch of their UK branch. The Heartland Institute president, James Taylor, said: “During recent years, a growing number of policymakers in the UK and continental Europe have requested Heartland establish a satellite office to provide resources to conservative policymakers throughout Europe. With our UK and European launch, we aim to fulfil this requested impact throughout Europe.”

Nigel Farage and Liz Truss were amongst those at the launch of the UK branch. Mr Farage was the ‘guest of honour’, and is known to already be working with the group. Reform UK holds a similar attitude towards climate change and has called for the UK’s 2050 net zero emissions target to be scrapped.

Lois Perry, who led UKIP until June and has previously dismissed the climate emergency as a "scam," will head the UK branch. She has frequently appeared on GB News, where she has downplayed the seriousness of the climate crisis.

Nigel Farage has rapidly become a prominent figure on the political scene, capturing a new audience with remarkable speed. In 2024, Reform UK secured 14% of the popular vote, just six years after its formation.