Fourteen years in government and what have the British Conservative Party got to show for it? The highest tax burden since World War II, radical anti-freedom green policies, and critical race and gender theory being applied throughout all institutions.
Some simply blame this all on government incompetence. Others doubt the politicians actually believe what they’re advocating and suspect they are just doing it to appease special-interest groups. While these may play a part in it, one largely overlooked factor is that the British government itself is funding left-wing activism.
They don’t call it that, of course, but that’s what’s effectively happening. The way it works is that leftist organizations identify as charities—which are really a trojan horse for radical leftist lobbying. The idea of a charity creates the image of a kind old lady selling cookies to raise money for cancer research, so the government gives them public money for their efforts. However, the reality is that these organizations are lobbying for a restriction of freedom and state expansion, and they are taking millions of pounds out of the taxpayer’s pocket to fund their campaigning.
There are well over 100,000 of these organizations, with the sector having grown 27% over the past decade. Activism has transformed from altruistic volunteering for little to no pay to a high-status profession with a fat paycheck.
Alongside large government grants, these organizations are largely financially propped up by other similar organizations which also receive large government grants, causing the funding of these organizations to look like a spider web with all threads eventually leading to the government. It’s like the conspiracy theorist meme—except this is actually happening.
Enabled by this funding, these organizations are able to pressure the government, influence the media, and promote their viewpoint in the workforce and educational institutions.
One example of this is the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, a collaboration of several dozen health organizations which has received £110 million from the British government since 2017. At the expense of taxpayers, the alliance has called for climate reparations and collaborated with the extremist climate group Extinction Rebellion. They have also been involved with public disturbances such as blocking roads to demand an end to fossil fuel use.
Another example of a state-funded activist group is Stonewall, the UK’s largest LGBT charity, which has made statements that “some lesbians have penises,” and “children as young as 2 recognise their trans identity.” Stonewall is deep rooted within the British state: from the millions of pounds they receive in government grants to the hundreds of public-sector organizations which are advised by Stonewall.
The thousands of organizations like these have made it very difficult to shift policy in a different direction. Regardless of whoever is in government, the juggernaut of leftist policies are unstoppable unless real institutional change is made to stop these activist organizations from receiving government money.