Late last year, the SKWAWKBOX revealed that the “Open Britain” company behind the so-called “People’s Vote” campaign had used the same company employed by the Tories that earned the Tories a less-than-adequate warning from the Electoral Commission for its ‘unlawful’ campaign activities.
Late last year, the SKWAWKBOX revealed that the “Open Britain” company behind the so-called “People’s Vote” campaign had used the same company employed by the Tories that earned the Tories a less-than-adequate warning from the Electoral Commission for its ‘unlawful’ campaign activities.
In the summer, this blog had already flagged the campaign, with its Blairite backers including Peter Mandelson and his godson as directors, as a likely vehicle for attacks on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and for raising the profile of MPs from the ‘Progress’ faction.
And in July, the SKWAWKBOX highlighted the misleading presentation of a ‘Unite’ poll – all too predictably claiming Unite members backed a new referendum – when in fact the poll was organised by the Open Britain pro-referendum vehicle.
Now, the Morning Star has looked in detail at the rest of the company’s board – and revealed an array of Tory, Lib Dem & right-wing Labour politicians, company directors & chairmen of global corporations running the company and therefore the campaign – who are not mentioned on its website.
One which claims, on its website, to be a ‘grassroots’ effort.
These directors include:
- the chair of a huge fracking company criticised by the United Nations for its damage to “economic, social, and cultural rights” and to the environment
- the multimillionaire founder – and brother of shamed DWP Secretary Amber Rudd – whose company made almost £30 million in profits and paid out £10 million in dividends, yet paid barely half a million pounds in tax. And which happens to consider Brexit one of its top-10 business risks. Rudd also guarantees the lease for the hugely expensive Open Britain offices in Millbank Tower, which also happen to host other ‘grassroots’ stop-Brexit groups like OFOC (Our Future Our Choice), apparently for free
- the multimillionaire founder of a drinks company and an investment company
- a key adviser to ex-LibDem leader Nick Clegg, while Clegg was busy facilitating the Brexit-enabling David Cameron’s coalition
- the son of Blairite former Home Secretary Jack Straw
- the son of a knighted, exclusively-educated former deputy governor of the Bank of England and Private Secretary to the Blair government
- and, of course, Mandelson
Green MP Caroline Lucas’ office told the SKWAWKBOX last year that she was a director of the company when it was the ‘Stronger In’ official remain campaign vehicle, but that after the referendum the company no longer had a political board, so she stepped down.
On this basis, Open Britain looks at least as corporate as political – yet is clearly using a political approach to achieve its ends.
For more, read the full Morning Star article.
SKWAWKBOX comment:
Trying to reconcile the names above with the idea of ‘grassroots’ is enough to make your ears bleed.
The Morning Star considers the so-called “People’s Vote”, both the idea and the campaign for it, to be a serious – and intentional – threat to the prospect of the Corbyn-led government the country so desperately needs and also to the UK and global environment.
The more one thinks about it, the harder it is to disagree.
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