The Labor government in Britain has long been criticized for suppressing freedom of expression, with suggestions that influential, unaccountable officials were operating a clandestine organization aimed at undermining independent news outlets, including Breitbart.
A think tank associated with the Labor Party was allegedly disguised as a grassroots initiative against ‘fake news,’ reportedly targeting left-leaning news organizations considered threats to globalist perspectives and right-leaning outlets that covered prominent figures like US President Donald Trump and Brexit supporter Nigel Farage. This information was shared by a South African investigative journalist in an article on Dropsite News, who referenced an extensive collection of documents that unveil this operation.
Notably, Morgan McSweeney, a key political strategist who aided Sir Keir Starmer in his ascendance to the role of prime minister, reportedly led a well-funded campaign that represents a “classic example of space turf.” This initiative allegedly positioned McSweeney as a highly influential unelected figure within British politics.
Holden posited:
McSweeney and his associates extended their influence to the United States, igniting a robust campaign against nonconformist media and free speech on both sides of the Atlantic.
This push seemed motivated by a wish to undermine and discredit news outlets that offered favorable coverage of McSweeney’s adversaries while advocating for the cancellation of those supportive of Farage and the Brexit Party.
Personal attacks on Donald Trump were rampant, as efforts were made to deter Breitbart from receiving any government advertising from the UK, all shrouded in secrecy and misdirection.
The disclosures pose a significant challenge to Sir Keir’s attempts to court President Trump, highlighting a concerted effort within the “Starmer machine” to disrupt the media landscape surrounding the former president.
McSweeney’s financially backed organization, Labor Together, is said to have formed unreported offshoots like Stop Funding Fake News (SFFN) and the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). Allegations surfaced that Labor Together failed to report large donations to the UK Electoral Commission between 2018 and 2020, eventually resulting in a fine for the organization.
Despite receiving £739,000 in donations during that period, Labor Together did not disclose this information, violating electoral regulations.
As previously reported, CCDH was noted for its goal of dismantling Musk’s Twitter. SFFN, on the other hand, was framed as a grassroots collective driven by a small group of activists, although Holden claims it was backed by some of the most prominent figures in British center-left politics, using tactics that masked their true intentions.
The campaign originally aimed to disrupt left-leaning media but soon broadened its reach to challenge right-wing outlets as well.
Holden argued that the initiative did manage to cripple some far-left news organizations by inciting an advertising boycott against dissenting news. An example includes the Canary, which was a notable supporter of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, presenting a serious challenge to the narratives endorsed by McSweeney and Starmer.
Although the initiative struggled to fully demonetize Breitbart, it succeeded in obstructing various government advertising policies directed at the news site. SFFN notably pressured brands to prevent their ads from appearing alongside what they deemed “defamatory” content.
This effort extended beyond government spending, leading companies to reassess where their advertising appeared due to public backlash. By the following year, SFFN targeted Breitbart’s YouTube presence, advocating for a wider boycott.
SFFN has continuously circulated lists of ‘fake news’ sites to advertisers, advising them on how to exclude these outlets from their advertising strategies.
There have been attempts to downplay McSweeney’s involvement, yet Holden asserts it is now evident that the chief of staff was instrumental in campaigns targeting media sympathetic to their viewpoints, which could have significant implications for political discourse.
Holden suggests these findings indicate a covert foreign operation aiming to influence the US media landscape, raising concerns around media freedom and expression as fundamental rights.
