Ah, Roseberry Topping, Yorkshire’s Matterhorn, one of those many places the National Trust looks after. Now, in 2020, the Trust issued a report, a bit of a mouthful, called ‘Addressing our histories of colonialism and historic slavery.‘ They wanted to tell about how their 93 historic houses are tied up with the British Empire, the slave trade, and the East India Company. All good stuff and a very interesting read.
This report would have taken them quite a few years to research and write up. But, just four months after George Floyd was murdered over in the United States and stirred up the Black Lives Matter movement worldwide, including here in the UK, this report comes out. Now, seen through the lens of this big culture clash, where some people refuse to hear any nuance, some Trust members thought it had gone too ‘woke’ for their liking. They even filed a complaint with the Charities Commission, though that didn’t get anywhere.
These disgruntled members had other bones to pick, like the Trust’s plan to go Net Zero by 2030. They eventually merged into a group which called itself the ‘Restore Trust,’ saying they’re not into politics, but who are accused of having a cosy relationship with many right-wing think tanks, though they deny it and say that’s just the founder’s day job.
Now, that founder, whom I shall not name directly, is the chair of the Institute of Economic Affairs, the Global Warming Policy Foundation, and Net Zero Watch. Those first two are known to be climate change sceptics with some murky funding. Net Zero Watch? Well, they’re dead set against the National Trust’s plan to go Net Zero by 2030.
These three think tanks have some sway in Downing Street, and they’ve had their mitts on more than a dozen of Liz Truss’s promises. Remember them? They’re not too keen on this whole green agenda thing. For instance, Policy Exchange, after pocketing 30 grand from Exxon Oil, told the British government to pass laws that would clamp down on climate protesters. And wouldn’t you know it, the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act 2022 was enacted and did just that.
These organisations are funded by various fossil fuel and tobacco companies, all to lobby against the National Trust’s core mission of safeguarding nature. Especially when it comes to the Trust’s 25-year plan for nature, announced back in 2017, aiming to restore nature to 25,000 hectares of their properties and make 50% of their farms nature-friendly by 2025.
Now, in 2021, Restore Trust threw their hats into the National Trust’s council elections ring. Bit of a hiccup when one of their candidates turned out to be a real piece of work, spouting off about legalising marital rape and the death penalty for homosexuals. But, surprise, three of them managed to be elected to the six available seats.
This year, they’re gearing up for more shenanigans, pushing to change voting procedure and candidate selection to get the upper hand on the council. It might be too conspiratorial, but some reckon Restore Trust or, more likely, their backers, have got their eyes on swathes of untouched land owned by national parks, charities, and trusts. With the government going all-in on investment zones and freeports, those lands might soon be off the hook from regular laws, whether it’s taxes, worker rights, or planning.
So, do Restore Trust stand a chance? Well, the National Trust’s got 5.7 million members, but only a mere 2% bother to vote in their council elections. Apathy’s par for the course, it seems. So, unless the Trust’s members get fired up, it won’t be too hard for Restore Trust, with their deep pockets and social media wizardry, to get their supporters to show up in force and win some, maybe all, of those seven open seats. That’s what they’re hoping for, and their tactics are not much different from what we’ve seen in the Brexit referendum, the US presidential elections, and plenty of other elections worldwide.
Now, I am not a National Trust member myself. No, I just volunteer for them, putting in about 300 hours a year. If you tally that up at the minimum wage, it’s way more than the annual membership subscription. Sure, I get some perks, but what they don’t give me is voting rights in the forthcoming elections.
So, if you are a National Trust member, I’m here to plead. Use that vote of yours. The voting deadline for council candidates is October 28th. Restore Trust’s candidates can be found here. No time for sitting on your hands.
Cribbed heavily from the following, please read for sources and more detailed info.:
Moody, Ann. 2022. ‘The National Trust Goes to War: Is Tufton Street Planning a Land Grab?’, Yorkshire Bylines <https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/politics/the-national-trust-goes-to-war-is-tufton-street-planning-a-land-grab/> [accessed 4 September 2023]
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