Godfrey Bloom

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Godfrey Bloom

Credentials

Background

Godfrey Bloom is a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Yorkshire and the Humber, representing the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) between 2004 and 2013. He continued to sit as an independent for the remainder of his term, ending in May 2014.2Godfrey Bloom quits as UKIP MEP after ‘sluts’ joke row,” BBC News, September 24, 2013. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/nLyEm 3Paul Gallagher. “Former Ukip bad boy Godfrey Bloom ‘horrified’ as his firm is fined for gambling couple’s £2m,” Independent, August 15, 2014. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/r09yz

According to his website, Godfrey Bloom served in the British Army in Germany from 1976, after attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He went on to work as an investment banker in the City of London and was director of TBO Investments between 1992 and 2004.4About,” Godfrey Bloom Online. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/fID5j 5Simona Sikimic, “Meet Godfrey Bloom, the Osborne of UKIP: ‘I hope thousands of public sector jobs will be lost’,” London Loves Business, May 22, 2013. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/DF5Sa 6Paul Gallagher. “Former Ukip bad boy Godfrey Bloom ‘horrified’ as his firm is fined for gambling couple’s £2m,” Independent, August 15, 2014. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/r09yz

Bloom describes himself as a “libertarian author,” having published books on military history and the “Austrian School” of economics, known for their advocacy of free markets and opposition to government intervention. He was briefly President of the Ludwig von Mises Centre – set up in 2017 “to counter the nonsense of mainstream politics and mainstream economics” – before being removed following controversial tweets by Bloom.7About,” Godfrey Bloom Online. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/fID5j 8Home,” The Ludwig von Mises Centre. Archived January 7, 2019. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/qZyVg 9Announcement,” The Ludwig von Mises Centre, December 18, 2017. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/SrfKK

Bloom is well-known for his climate science denial, telling the European Parliament in 2009 that global warming is a “sham” created to extract more tax from “ordinary people.” In 2010, he was filmed praising the French secret service for sinking the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in 1985. Bloom received £3,000 from a shareholding in Shell in 2013, Euractiv revealed.10Godfrey Bloom slams global warming scam,” YouTube video uploaded by user Europarl – EFDD Group on October 20, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog. 11MEP Godfrey Bloom hails Greenpeace ship attack,” BBC News, February 10, 2010. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/qkzQm 12Arthur Nelsen. “Ex-UKIP MEP: Our climate change policy was ‘very amateurish’,” Euractiv, April 2, 2013. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/Fm2R3

In 2012, the Guardian revealed Bloom employed Ben Pile as a “climate and environment researcher” for around £2,000 a month, despite having no formal environment remit with UKIP.13Leo Hickman. “Ukip’s Godfrey Bloom and the £2,000-a-month climate researcher,” Guardian, November 6, 2012. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/lwIbM

Pile has produced a number of anti-wind power campaign videos and commentaries and regularly writes for the website Spiked, who were revealed in December 2018 to have received funding from the Koch brothers.14Lost Horizons,” YouTube video uploaded by user GoddersVision on November 11, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog. 15Ben Pile. “The world needs more energy, not green BS,” Spiked, November 20, 2015. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/i1BdE 16Mike Small. “Revealed: US Oil Billionaire Charles Koch Funds UK Anti-Environment Spiked Network,” DeSmog UK, December 6, 2018.

Bloom gained notoriety in 2013 after striking a reporter outside UKIP’s annual conference, after being questioned about the party’s lack of diversity. He had previously referred to a female audience as “sluts” during a fringe meeting at the conference. The month before, a video emerged of Bloom telling a local meeting that Britain should not be sending aid to “bongo bongo land,” calling aid programmes “treason.”17UKIP’s Godfrey Bloom under fire over ‘demeaning’ joke,” BBC News, September 20, 2013. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/2SWe4 18Tim Shipman, Tamara Cohen, Matt Chorley. “UKIP man in ‘Bongo Bongo land’ aid row storms out of TV interview after Channel 4 News presenter keeps asking him if he is a racist,” MailOnline, August 8, 2013. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/g1d3H

Stance on Climate Change

October 2013

In an article on the Politics.co.uk website entitled “Here’s the truth – there’s been no global warming since the 1990s,” Bloom quoted the economist Bjorn Lomborg, who has long downplayed the risks associated with climate change:19Godfrey Bloom. “Here’s the truth – there’s been no global warming since the 1990s,” Politics.co.uk, October 7, 2013. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/wnuw8

“Politicians being simple folk, they do not seem to understand that there is a difference between global warming, climate change and their consequences. There is evidence of global warming. There is significantly less evidence of climate change.20Godfrey Bloom. “Here’s the truth – there’s been no global warming since the 1990s,” Politics.co.uk, October 7, 2013. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/wnuw8

“There is less than zero evidence of negative consequences of climate change: people are wealthier, healthier, and better protected from nature than at any point in human history – because of wealth, not the climate.”21Godfrey Bloom. “Here’s the truth – there’s been no global warming since the 1990s,” Politics.co.uk, October 7, 2013. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/wnuw8

October 20, 2009

Speaking in a parliamentary debate, Bloom described global warming as a a “sham” (emphasis added):22Godfrey Bloom slams global warming scam,” YouTube video uploaded by user Europarl – EFDD Group on October 20, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

“As independent science has actually confirmed, that the globe is actually cooling, and has been cooling since 2002. Broadly flat since 1998. So we’re all talking about something here which isn’t happening.23Godfrey Bloom slams global warming scam,” YouTube video uploaded by user Europarl – EFDD Group on October 20, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

“I’ve heard time and time again, members here talk of CO2 as a pollutant. A pollutant is a life-giving natural gas. It gives me the impression that some of our members haven’t had the benefit of a formal education. 24Godfrey Bloom slams global warming scam,” YouTube video uploaded by user Europarl – EFDD Group on October 20, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

“Isn’t this just about the state being able to get its hands in ordinary people’s trouser pocket to steal, get more tax from, them? Isn’t this all about political control? Isn’t this all about politics and big business?25Godfrey Bloom slams global warming scam,” YouTube video uploaded by user Europarl – EFDD Group on October 20, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

The whole thing’s a sham. This bogus hypothesis. This ridiculous nonsense that manmade CO2 is causing global warming. Enough please, before we damage irrevocably the global economy.”26Godfrey Bloom slams global warming scam,” YouTube video uploaded by user Europarl – EFDD Group on October 20, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

Key Quotes

November 2009

Bloom accused the BBC of silencing climate sceptics on its programmes, saying:27Shamik Das. “UKIP MEP stands by attack on “biased, censoring” BBC,” Left Foot Forward, November 30, 2009. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/4YY5Z

“The BBC has blocked sceptics of climate change for four years now, no debate is allowed on the BBC. It is biased reporting and it is censorship.”28Shamik Das. “UKIP MEP stands by attack on “biased, censoring” BBC,” Left Foot Forward, November 30, 2009. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/4YY5Z

He told the website Left Foot Forward:

“I absolutely stand by what I said. This is one of the most important subjects since the war. The whole thing has been a complete farce and a cover-up.”29Shamik Das. “UKIP MEP stands by attack on “biased, censoring” BBC,” Left Foot Forward, November 30, 2009. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/4YY5Z

October 2009

Bloom told the BBC, ahead of the Copenhagen climate conference:30Len Tingle. “Climate change: man-made or myth?,” BBC Politics Show, October 11, 2009. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/4v0KU

“As far as I am concerned man-made global warming is nothing more than a hypothesis that hasn’t got any basis in fact.”31Len Tingle. “Climate change: man-made or myth?,” BBC Politics Show, October 11, 2009. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/4v0KU

Key Deeds

August 2014

Bloom’s investment company, TBO Investments, was ordered to pay a retired couple £2m by the High Court, after giving “negligent advice” and “gambling their money on mining and natural resource funds,” The Independent reported.32Paul Gallagher. “Former Ukip bad boy Godfrey Bloom ‘horrified’ as his firm is fined for gambling couple’s £2m,” Independent, August 15, 2014. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/r09yz

October 2013

Bloom wrote a commentary for Politics.co.uk that argued there has been “no global warming since the 1990s,” in response to the release of the first part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) major report on the state of climate science.33Godfrey Bloom. “Here’s the truth – there’s been no global warming since the 1990s,” Politics.co.uk, October 7, 2013. Archived December 20, 2018. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/wnuw8

October 2009

In a debate in the European Parliament prior to the Copenhagen international climate negotiations Bloom said that global warming is a “sham.”34Godfrey Bloom slams global warming scam,” YouTube video uploaded by user Europarl – EFDD Group on October 20, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

May 2009

The Times reported that Bloom was using his European Parliament staff allowance to pay three assistants who were also employed by his investment company, TBO Investments.35David Brown, Fran Yeoman and Victoria Swalwell. “UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom pays assistants who also work for his investment firm,” The Times, May 30, 2009. Archived December 20, 2018. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

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