Farage and Truss at launch of climate-denial group

Right-wingers welcome British branch led by ex-Ukip leader

- MILLIE COOKE

Nigel Farage and Liz Truss were spotted attending the launch of the UK branch of a climate-denying lobby group, set to be headed up by a former Ukip leader.

The Heartland Institute, a US-based lobby group that has previously made extreme statements expressing scepticism of climate change, launched its UK-EU branch last month, based in London. Mr Farage, who was the guest of honour at the launch, was joined by former prime minister Ms Truss and Tory shadow trade minister Andrew Griffith.

Lois Perry, who is set to lead the new branch and was the leader of Ukip for a month last year, has previously described the climate emergency as “a scam”. Announcing the launch, Heartland – which has links to the Trump administration – boasted that it is “the world’s most prominent think tank supporting scepticism about manmade climate change”.