Category Archives: Think Tanks

Ofqual Fiasco and Planning revolution point to where the Vote Leave Government gets its ideas

Posted on August 20, 2020 by Miles King

As I watched the A-level results fiasco unfold over the last week  – the latest in a long line of shambolic Government u-turns  – it got me thinking about how this Government actually decides on what policies it is going … Continue reading →

Posted in covid19, Cummings, Dominic Cummings, Michael Gove, neoliberalism, planning, Policy Exchange, Think Tanks, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Chronicling the Sad Demise of Natural England

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Miles King

One of the more interesting consequences of having written a blog about Nature and politics for eight years, (aside from a short break between July 2012 and May 2013), is that you can look back at earlier ramblings, thoughts and … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Sells, Natural England, Think Tanks | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

IEA may end up gagging on its own sock puppet

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Miles King

  Charities are to be banned from using “tax payers’ money” to influence Parliament, Government or Political Parties, the so called “sock puppet” issue. The Government has decided to introduce this change in legislation, as a result of a campaign … Continue reading →

Posted in Charities campaigning, Institute of Economic Affairs, libertarians, neoliberalism, sock puppet, Think Tanks, Tory Party, Uncategorized, voluntary sector | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

UKIP – the new Monday Club?

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Miles King

Bastions of Power: The Institute of Directors           The problem with the internet is that it is easy to make connections between people, events and organisations: you could call it a conspiracy theory generator. It is … Continue reading →

Posted in Charities campaigning, corporate lobbying, deregulation, neoliberalism, the far right, Think Tanks, Tory Party, UKIP, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Red-Tape fire-starter Francis Maude helped made UKIP chair Steve Crowther a millionaire

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Miles King

As I wrote previously, I thought that Steve Crowther, UKIP’s machiavellian chairman, had made a fortune in the world of Ad agencies and marketing. He co-founded a company called April Six in 2000 and then sold it to The Mission … Continue reading →

Posted in deregulation, Think Tanks, UKIP | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Will “The Usual Suspects” fund Owen Paterson’s new Dummy Tank UK/2020?

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Miles King

      a dummy tank Two and a half years ago I wrote about the Art of Deception, and Operation Fortitude, where inflatable tanks were used to fool the Germans into thinking that D-Day would be an invasion of … Continue reading →

Posted in anti-environmental rhetoric, Astroturfing, corporate lobbying, deregulation, Neoconoids, neoliberalism, Owen Paterson, Think Tanks, UKIP | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

55 Tory MPs believe human-induced climate change is “environmentalist propaganda”

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Miles King

what’s happening to global temperatures? Sometimes you read a news article and you think “that can’t be right” and it is. Yesterday was a case in point. We now know  that CO2 levels have increased at their fastest rate for … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, the far right, Think Tanks, UKIP | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Stick to the Knitting

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Miles King

“I think the Knitters have left you a message Minister” It’s just as well there is less than a year left in this Parliament – and so very little if any time for new legislation or policy development. This is … Continue reading →

Posted in Charities campaigning, Charities Commission, neoliberalism, Think Tanks, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Inside the murky world where climate denial, social media and industry propaganda converge

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Miles King

After an unedifying and ultimately pointless dialogue with Richard AE North on the Conservative Home website, relating to the badger cull yesterday (see yesterday’s post), I was drawn to his blog to see what he was fulminating about there. I … Continue reading →

Posted in anti-environmental rhetoric, climate change, corporate lobbying, the far right, Think Tanks, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Revealed: who pays for the corporate lobbyist Think Tanks?

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Miles King

A little while ago (back in August) I asked readers of this blog to write to Chloe Smith MP, who at the time was guiding the Lobbying Bill through the House of Commons. This Bill was going to curtail all … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Sells, Astroturfing, Charities campaigning, Charities Commission, corporate lobbying, George Monbiot, Policy Exchange, Think Tanks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments