LGB Alliance headquarters exposed as 55 Tufton Street, U.K. base for right-wing think tanks
Trans-exclusionary organisation the LGB Alliance hang their hat at 55 Tufton Street, sharing space with Britain’s most influential and controversial right-wing think tanks, previously unseen documents have revealed.
The controversial group, already listed as a ‘hate group’ in some parts and last week removed from Twitch‘s approved charity list, have faced a number of controversies and accusations of far-right affiliations over the years, but have always downplayed such suggestions as baseless gossip designed to undermine their status.
ICYMI – LGB alliance accidentally posted a correspondence showing their address as one notorious for accommodating a network of right and far-right lobby groups largely funded by the US with links to neo nazis pic.twitter.com/TdRRr8WwRK
— sarah m (@sazza_jay) December 18, 2022
The Observer describe 55 Tufton Street as the focus of “a network of opaquely funded organisations, and cites a former employee at these organisations who describes them as pursuing “different strands of the same political goals. One of these is the exit of the UK from the EU.” They also talk about a “revolving door” between the organisations in terms of staff who move between them.
The Independent describes it as “the centre of a network of scepticism towards Europe and climate change”.
The LGB Alliance HQ was revealed in an FOI request to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, and immediately a lot of chatter online, with many asking why – given the thousands of potential spaces in LONDON – a group which purports to be about gay, lesbian and bisexual rights would align with such a right-wing address.
Acknowledging the discourse on social media, LGB Alliance defended their choice of office space, saying it was “handy” and “flexible”, and tried to warn subscribers against drawing “conspiratorial conclusions”.
Oh look, hate group LGB Alliance trying to spin the fact they have an office at 55 Tufton St. Home of the far right in the UK. I wonder how they got in there? pic.twitter.com/7swsx6pBL4
— On mastodon social as oolon (@oolon) December 17, 2022
55 Tufton Street is owned by Tory donor Richard Smith and currently acts as headquarters for the Institute for Economic Affairs, Centre for Policy Studies, the TaxPayers’ Alliance, Global Warming Policy Foundation, New Culture Forum, and BrexitCentral, to name a few.
Defending their base on Twitter, the LGB Alliance said: “The office is fantastically well-served in terms of transport links. In addition, we spend a lot of time trying to make our case to politicians, and the office is just a few minutes’ walk from the Houses of Parliament.”
“You will be unsurprised to learn that our detractors will seek to draw conspiratorial conclusions from our address. I can tell you that the office was chosen because it’s handy, flexible, and that it became available at the right time.”
Folk on social media, however, weren’t so convinced.
“Given that the LGB Alliance insists it is a charity, it’s surprising that it has office space in a building known for hosting some of the most prominent right-wing libertarian lobbying groups in the country,” said a spokesperson for the Trans Safety Network.
“The fact that the other organisations working from this building are highly networked raises questions about the relationship of this supposedly neutral charity to these politically motivated actors – questions that ought to be thoroughly investigated by the Charity Commission to determine whether or not the LGBA is itself a lobby group.”
While group TransActivismUK joked: “No, look, it’s fine. We KNOW we built our headquarters within the evil villain’s volcano lair, but it’s a REALLY good space, you guys. Once you learn how to walk around the man eating piranha tanks and spike pits, it’s just the most suitable place for us.”
“the conservatives: we’ve created a fake lgb group called the lgb alliance( lgba ) so we can spread fearmongering lies to divide and conquer the lgbt+ community. nobody will ever know it’s us. it’s genius. oh yeah, we’re based out of 55 tufton street. don’t worry nobody will check”, joked another.
Some more tweets on the matter below:
I’m still split between whether LGB Alliance are a bunch of idiots who have been tricked into doing conservative propaganda, or if it was created by some right wing think tank with the original goal of undermining LGBT rights. Could be both at the same time I guess https://t.co/Gmh3wxClTF
— K80 Montgomerie 🦗 (@KatyMontgomerie) December 17, 2022
Turns out that LGB Alliance are part of the 55 Tufton Street group that brought you lies
– to stop action on climate change
– to privatise our NHS and public services
– to promote Brexit and racist immigration policies
Why would you believe their campaign against #TransRights? pic.twitter.com/216qPq2RiA— Peter Underwood 💚 (@GreenPeterU) December 18, 2022
A direct link between the anti-trans hate group LGB Alliance and the opaque far right wing lobbyist hive 55 Tufton Street. It appears that’s LGBA’s address.
Knock me down with a feather.
I trust that in future all hacks platforming the views of LGB Alliance will mention this. https://t.co/DaFRI5GN0e— Katherine O’Donnell (@kathy__odonnell) December 17, 2022
People used to say
“The LGB Alliance is a hate-group.”
That is unfair.
Now their offices at 55 Tufton Street have been exposed we should say;
“The LGB Alliance is a far-right hate-group.”https://t.co/AcKdGNBW1b
— Dr Natacha Kennedy 🏳️⚧️ (@natachakennedy) December 19, 2022
The LGB Alliance:
“No, look, it’s fine. We KNOW we built our headquarters within the evil villain’s volcano lair, but it’s a REALLY good space, you guys.
Once you learn how to walk around the man eating piranha tanks and spike pits, it’s just the most suitable place for us.” pic.twitter.com/7sf2j9w9en— Trans Activism UK (@TransActivismUK) December 18, 2022
the conservatives: we’ve created a fake lgb group called the lgb alliance( lgba ) so we can spread fearmongering lies to divide and conquer the lgbt+ community. nobody will ever know it’s us. it’s genius. oh yeah, we’re based out of 55 tufton street. don’t worry nobody will check
— ֆʟօǟռɛ-ʟʏֆɮɛȶɦ (@SloaneFragment) December 17, 2022
at this point might as well just refer to the lgb alliance as the conservative party. bcos that’s who they are. they created a hate group to divide the lgbt+ community and then they got the charity commission to legitimize them.
this country is corrupt af.— ֆʟօǟռɛ-ʟʏֆɮɛȶɦ (@SloaneFragment) December 19, 2022