An investigation has found that, the Institute of Economic Affairs, a secretive think tank, which has called for the NHS to be scrapped while its heads pour millions into the Conservative Party – and its MPs’ – coffers is being funded by big tobacco.
One of the groups funding the IEA, a free market think tank which is notoriously close-lipped about its donors, is British American Tobacco. The IEA has been an outspoken critic of public health measures for tackling smoking, obesity and harmful drinking, and past funders include organisations affiliated with gambling, alcohol, sugar and soft drinks industries.
The findings were presented in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), and health experts raise the prospect of a future Conservative leader aligning with big business at the expense of the public’s health.
Full story on The Independent, 16 May 2019.
