Gaia flagged an interesting development in London’s courts this week – the presence of the Partnership for Policy Integrity at an ongoing legal dispute with one of the UK’s biggest energy companies. Co-conspirators thought PFPI deserves a closer look. The US-based green lobby group was founded by a group of activists who wanted to fight proposals for three new biomass power plants in -checks notes – Massachusetts in 2008. So why are they turning up in the UK in 2025…
The group has major form for cross-border lawfare. It says it provides “science and legal support” so that “citizen groups, environmental organizations, and policymakers can better understand energy development.” But in practice that means helping launch multiple lawsuits including, for example, a lawsuit challenging elements of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive. Other legal actions by the group and its wider consortium include a challenge to the EU’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy to block more renewable power projects, an attempt to block logging permits in Estonia, challenges to subsidies in South Korea, and an OECD complaint against a British energy company – all proudly trumpeted on its own website. Must be costing a lot of time and money…
Of course, PFPI is just one NGO out of dozens who are launching court actions against the UK energy industry in London – a trend which is ticking up due to the liberalisation of lawfare under Starmer (as Guido has noted). Not that the role of these campaign groups has been properly picked up by the wider UK media – who are yet to make the connection between left wing NGOs and ongoing court action in London. As Kemi turns on Net Zero a good start would be to ban foreign green meddling in Britain’s energy security…
Before the general election Guido repeatedly warned co-conspirators about the risk of London’s courts becoming a haven for international lefty lawfare under Labour. It’s the embattled UK energy industry which has most to fear from that development…
Now industry insiders say The Partnership for Policy Integrity (PFPI) – a US-based NGO that has a history of launching legal action against corporations in the name of environmental protection – is increasingly active in the UK. Despite being based thousands of miles away in rural Massachusetts…
Various newspapers have reported this week’s court action by Rowaa Ahmar – who once tried to sue Simon Case, as Guido has noted – who claims she was unfairly dismissed by energy company Drax “after setting out concerns to executives around its claimed use of sustainable wood.” Who should turn up at the court hearing? None other than a senior executive of the PFPI…
An energy industry source told Guido: “the UK energy sector has enough of its own challenges to be dealing with without importing anti-energy campaigns from the US, run by groups backed by huge left wing donors”. There is more legal action in the offing against other UK-based energy firms…
Amid the Budget comms and market meltdown, it didn’t escape co-conspirators that eco-loon Chris Packham “reached a settlement with the government” over his legal challenge which claimed the previous (Tory) Government had acted unlawfully by delaying net zero policies. Acted sensibly, more like…
The new Government has decided to capitulate to Packham and has agreed to meet him to discuss “future progress addressing climate breakdown”. The truth is that it doesn’t matter what Reeves promises to spend or cut in the Budget, if Miliband has already promised the earth to Packham…
Packham was represented by class action specialists Leigh Day, the law firm with extensive links to the Labour Party and one of the chief purveyors of the class action tidal wave of which Guido has been warning in recent months. The think tank Adam Smith Institute released a report on lawfare last week noting that the enormous class action boom was starting to have real world impact on the UK’s economy and business. The combination of class action lawfare and net zero apocalypticism will do far more long-term damage than any confected budget ‘black hole’ tinkering. Don’t say you weren’t warned…
All eyes are on the High Court this week, as law firm Pogust Goodhead brings the largest ever opt-in class action case against Australian mining giants BHP. Pogust represents some 600,000 claimants in the action – seeking £36 billion in damages. These cases are becoming increasingly common, as US-style lawfare spreads…
The election of the Labour government – with lefties linked to similar class actions and firms – has led to concerns over the impact on business in the UK. Starmer could usher in a wave of such cases…
Meanwhile, PR firm The PHA Group has been drafted in to sharpen up the lawyers’ press coverage. PHA has a roster of former hacks on staff and enjoys a varied client list, having included everything from anti-animal testing to Julian Assange. British business is fearing this area will become a cottage industry…
Guido has uncovered the threat of mass of US-style class action lawsuits under Labour, thanks in part to measures included in Angela Rayner’s ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’, targeting job creators and high street businesses (making it easier to sue them on political grounds). Labour’s extensive links to the lefty lawfare industry are unravelling…
Word is spreading as councils and companies face ever-increasing legal demands – and a recent appointment by Starmer won’t calm nerves. On Thursday, Sir Keir promoted Catherine Smith KC to one of the highest legal positions in the land: Advocate General for Scotland. Smith is Labour royalty: not only is she the daughter of former Labour leader John Smith (a red princess to match Labour’s collection of red princes), but she is yet another experienced claimant lawyer, specialising in “personal injury, clinical negligence and judicial review cases.” A speciality which often means clobbering employers and businesses with expensive legal action…
Starmer has once again promoted a claimant lawyer to a top role. Packing the place with lefty activist lawyers, no wonder UK firms think the shine is coming off Labour’s attempt to woo business…
Lord Khan in the Telegraph: “I hope, and I say this in a non-pompous way, that the public service I do will bring rewards in this world and the hereafter,” he says. “I’m hoping the work I do is earning me Brownie points.”