UK

Greenpeace is warned its trust could lose charitable status after eco-protesters scaled Rishi Sunak's roofLord Carlile calls on Greenpeace trustees to 'reflect on what occurred' last week

By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT FOR MAILONLINE
, 8 August 2023

Greenpeace has been warned their trust risks losing its charitable status after eco-protesters scaled Rishi Sunak's roof.

A group of activists were last week arrested after they clambered onto the top of the Prime Minister's grade 11-listed mansion in his North Yorkshire constituency.

Amid widespread outrage at the group's actions, Greenpeace have been banned from meetings with civil servants until further notice.

They have also now been warned their funding model could be threatened by the 'intimidatory' behaviour of its activists.

Lord Carlile of Berriew, a crossbench peer and a former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, called on trustees of Greenpeace to 'reflect on what occurred'.

He pointed to how Greenpeace Environmental Trust, a UK-registered charity, funded Greenpeace Limited with £2.4million last year.

Greenpeace campaigners draped Rishi Sunak's home with an oil-black fabric to protest against his plans to grant more than 100 new licences for North Sea oil and gas extraction

The group of activists were arrested after they clambered onto the top of the Prime Minister's grade 11-listed mansion in his North Yorkshire constituency


Lord Carlile of Berriew, a crossbench peer and a former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, called on trustees of Greenpeace to 'reflect on what occurred'
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The former Liberal Democrat MP claimed the Trust should have considered it 'ethically unsound' for Greenpeace activists to 'invade' Mr Sunak's constituency home.

'I have long respected Greenpeace and counterterrorism policing,' the former Lord Carlile wrote in a letter to The Times.

'Now I find myself disappointed with both and anxious about their directions of travel.

'Concerning policing, as a former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation I am astonished that protesters were able to trespass at length on the prime minister's private home.

'This demonstrates a failure of surveillance and a serious lapse of attention.

'Concerning the Greenpeace Environmental Trust, as a UK-registered charity it should have regarded it ethically unsound for Greenpeace Limited, which it funded to the extent of £2.4 million last year, to invade the home of an elected representative.

'Targeting a politician's private residence is an intimidatory act by those who have not troubled to achieve their policies through the electoral process.

'Greenpeace's trustees should reflect on what occurred, not least because I assume that they do not wish to imperil the organisation's charitable status.'

A group of Greenpeace protesters were arrested and later bailed on Thursday amid an ongoing investigation by North Yorkshire Police.

The campaigners draped Mr Sunak's home with an oil-black fabric to protest against the PM's plans to grant more than 100 new licences for oil and gas extraction in the North Sea.

Mr Sunak was out of the country as he enjoyed a family holiday in California with his wife and two daughters.

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey has since ordered civil servants at her Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to end meetings and engagement with the group until further notice.

In response to the intervention, Greenpeace defended the protest as 'entirely peaceful' and diligently planned to avoid safety risks.

The group's UK co-executive director, Will McCallum, said: 'This isn't about the Government engaging with Greenpeace, it's about them engaging with the world around them.

'The planet is on fire and Rishi Sunak is acting like nothing's happening.'