A number of Conservative MPs have praised the work of a new UK rightwing youth pressure group that is said to have links to far-right conspiracy theorists, and has in the US been accused of anti-Islam views and connections to racism.
On Sunday, MPs including Jacob Rees-Mogg and Priti Patel tweeted supportive messages for Turning Point UK, the offshoot of a controversial organisation established in the US.
The UK outpost is headed by George Farmer, a Conservative donor and son of a Tory peer, who has been pictured (below second left) socialising with Paul Joseph Watson (second right), a senior editor at the far-right conspiracy theory website Infowars, and frequently retweets him. Watson has also praised Turning Point.
Chelsea night @GTSFarmer @PrisonPlanet @DanJukes17 pic.twitter.com/IyRxDzq4Rf
— Michael Heaver (@Michael_Heaver) January 27, 2019
Infowars has argued the 7 July 2005 attacks in London and the 2012 Sandy Hook primary school massacre were faked. Its founder, Alex Jones, is being sued by bereaved Sandy Hook parents.
UK Jewish groups have previously criticised Ukip for allying with Watson and Infowars over concerns and allegations that the website also spreads antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Farmer has also used Twitter to question Islam and call Jeremy Corbyn “Jew-hating Jeremy”. Other messages called the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, a “Grade A twat” and a “virtue signalling cuck”, and called two US Democratic politicians “retards”.
On Islam, Farmer tweeted: “Can anyone explain to me why you need so much protection when you convert out of the religion of peace? Asking for a friend.”
The newly launched Turning Point UK says it aims to challenge the idea that young people are inherently left-leaning, and seeks to fight against “socialism, racism and identity politics”, among other issues.
It has no connection to the long-established UK addiction charity Turning Point. A spokeswoman for the charity said it was “reviewing all options in order to protect is name and limit confusion”.
Several Conservative MPs have approvingly retweeted the group’s initial message. “This could be huge,” said Steve Baker. Patel, a former international development secretary, said: “A new generation standing up for political & economic freedoms & Conservative values & beliefs. Fantastic!”
Another MP, Bernard Jenkin, said: “This is the future”; while Rees-Mogg said: “The left has no monopoly on the ‘young’.”
Among other people to praise the establishment of Turning Point UK was For Britain, the anti-Islam party set up by the former Ukip leadership contender Anne Marie Waters, which said it hoped to support the group.
Turning Point UK is a spin-off from a US youth campaign that advocates free markets and small government, loudly supporting Donald Trump and campaigning on free speech issues.
The latter topic has seen Turning Point USA set up a website called Professor Watchlist. This is billed as a way to stop academics from discriminating against Trump-supporting students but has been criticised as intimidating.
Turning Point USA vehemently insists it is inclusive, but has prompted concern about alleged links to racists, and anti-Islam messages.
Farmer, whose father is Michael Farmer, a multimillionaire financier and longtime Tory donor, has also given money to the party, and attended fundraising events.
He is engaged to Candace Owens, a Trump-supporting US YouTube commentator and TV pundit. She has previously come to the defence of neo-Nazis and called the police killings of black men a trivial issue.
Turning Point UK and Farmer were contacted for comment.
