Top Just Stop Oil donor Dale Vince pulls cash and says more protests are ‘pointless’
One of Just Stop Oil’s top donors has announced he will stop funding the eco-group and will instead focus on an anti-Conservative campaign.
Dale Vince, who has donated to both climate activists and Labour, said continued disruption was “pointless” as the government will not change its stance on oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.
The Ecotricity founder said he will divert his efforts to a new cause called Just Vote, which encourages young people and first-time voters to exercise their democratic right.
In a statement, Mr Vince said: “It’s a fact of our electoral system that only one of two parties can form the next government; we want to bring a focus to this reality and to the opportunity that we have – to elect a green government, one that will embrace the opportunities we face, rather than make an enemy of them – and use them to tackle the long list of issues we face as a country.”
Labour have promised to ban the granting of new licences to explore oil and gas fields in the North Sea.
Mr Vince applauded the “conviction and commitment” of Just Stop Oil, whose demonstrations he has funded since the group began, but suggested further action would play into the government’s hand by feeding the “culture war”.
“While I understand the frustration that people feel, I believe that further protests and the disruption that comes with them are pointless. I would go further and say they would be counterproductive,” he said.
“Consequently, I’m no longer going to fund protest but will instead switch all of my time, effort and funding to a new cause.”
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It comes after Rishi Sunak watered down efforts to tackle the climate crisis, including a five-year delay to the ban on new fossil fuel cars, to avoid a public “backlash”.
Labour have pledged to retain the 2030 target for electric cars if it wins the next election.
Mr Vince’s status as a backer of the group has sparked calls from Conservatives for Labour to return donations from him, arguing it legitimises their tactics.
Mr Sunak has also sought to highlight Mr Vince’s support, saying it showed “eco-zealots” from Just Stop Oil are “writing Keir Starmer’s energy policy”.
Labour have rejected suggestions Just Stop Oil influences its policies, and defended receiving donations from Mr Vince – saying he is a “perfectly legitimate person” to accept money from.
Polling has suggested Britons support measures to tackle climate change, but the balance shifts when asked their opinion if such actions dealt a blow to their personal finances.
Sir Ed Davey has written to King Charles to explain why he believes he has to refuse his invite to a state banquet for Donald Trump.
The Lib Dem leader said on Wednesday he will be boycotting the dinner next month during the US president’s second state visit to the UK because of the situation in Gaza.
He told Sky News on Thursday: “I’ve written to him [the King] personally explaining my thinking.
“And it’s with deep regret that I’ve had to take the decision, but I feel with what is going on in Gaza, it’s the best way I can get my voice heard.”
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Sir Ed said the “sad truth” is Mr Trump is the “one man” who has the power to stop the “horrible famine in Gaza, could get the hostages released, could bring an end to this horrendous humanitarian crisis”.
He said the US president could do that by phoning up Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and telling him to stop.
The Lib Dem leader said Mr Trump could also call up the Qatari government and other Gulf states to get them to put pressure on Hamas to release the remaining 50 Israeli hostages (20 living, 30 dead) they took on 7 October 2023.
The King and Donald Trump during his first state visit in 2019. Pic: Reuters
He emphasised that he has “huge respect” for the King and it was a very difficult decision he “really wrestled with” and involved him talking to his wife and praying about it.
Sir Ed denied it was political posturing and instead is one of the only ways he could get Mr Trump to listen.
“I didn’t want him to come to the UK without being reminded, as best I can, that he has that moral responsibility, frankly,” he added.
“And from what I’m picking up from many people, there are people across the political spectrum who agree with me and the Democrats that it is Donald Trump, it is the United States who has this power over Netanyahu, over Hamas, albeit indirectly, to stop this horrendous situation.”
Publicly refusing the King’s invite is “the best way I can get my voice heard,” Sir Ed said.
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King Charles will host a state dinner for Donald Trump. Pic: PA
Tony Blair at White House Gaza meeting
While Sir Ed is choosing to snub Mr Trump to get his voice heard, former Labour prime minister Sir Tony Blair has been asked by the US president for help on Gaza.
Sir Tony joined a White House meeting on Wednesday, chaired by Mr Trump, to discuss the war in Gaza and post-war plans for the Palestinian territory, a senior White House official confirmed.
They were joined by Mr Trump’s former Middle East envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to also discuss the hostage crisis and plans to escalate food aid deliveries.
The official described it as “simply a policy meeting”.
In July, the Financial Times reported the Tony Blair Institute had participated in a project to develop a post-war Gaza plan, with the think tank having “had many calls with different groups on post-war reconstruction of Gaza but none included the idea of forcible relocation of people from Gaza”.
Sir Ed called on Sir Tony to be quizzed in parliament about his discussions with the Trump administration.
“If he has special insight into Trump’s intentions, it’s only right that parliament and the government are made privy to this,” he said.
“We must leverage all the information and resources at our disposal to make Trump do the right thing.”
The change is part of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s “crypto sprint,” an initiative to overhaul regulations in response to proposals from the Trump administration.
The US government announced on Tuesday that it is publishing economic data onchain to boost transparency for government spending.
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