Great British PAC
Far-right campaign group in the United Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Great British Political Action Committee (Great British PAC or GB PAC), is a far-right campaign group in the United Kingdom, that describes itself as a cross-party organisation based on the political action committees of the United States.
Great British Political Action Committee | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | GB PAC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 4 September 2024[1] |
| Type | Campaign group |
| Legal status | Limited company (GBP Corporation Limited) |
| Headquarters | Redditch, England[1] |
Region served | |
Key people |
|
Main organ | Advisory board |
| Website | greatbritishpac |
GB PAC was founded by Claire Bullivant in September 2024, with the aim of "uniting the right ahead of a general election in 2029". The organisation is chaired by Ben Habib, a former Deputy Leader of Reform UK, and its advisory board includes two Conservative peers in the House of Lords, alongside both current and former Members of Parliament (MPs). In July 2026, Advance UK, a far-right political party led by Habib, de-registered and merged into GB PAC.
The group has gained prominence through campaigning against the Chagos Deal and alleging that the government was engaged in covert deals to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece. It has been accused of exploiting a financial loophole by not being registered with the Electoral Commission, allowing it to avoid disclosing its donors. According to Hope not Hate, several members of the advisory board have disseminated far-right, racist and extremist views, although Habib and Bullivant have expressed indifference to the actions of their members. The Financial Times has also reported that the group is closely linked to Reform UK, Restore Britain and multiple far-right figures.[2]
History
Formation and ideology
The Great British Political Action Committee was founded in September 2024 by Claire Bullivant, a Conservative Party activist, stating that it aimed to 'unite the right'—ahead of the UK general election expected in 2029—and that it will hold an annual conference, denounce the mainstream media, undertake legal initiatives, and 'identify, train and support' the next generation of right-wing politicians in the UK.[3][4] The organisation has yet to register with the Electoral Commission, which, according to some anti-corruption experts, could allow it to exploit a financial loophole that allows U.S. donors to indirectly provide funding to political parties such as Reform UK and Restore Britain.[2][5][6] David Vine has characterised the group as 'a shadowy "Great British PAC" that won’t disclose its donors'.[7][8]
In March 2025, Habib told OpenDemocracy that Reform UK's local election campaign to repair potholes had originally been drafted by GB PAC's policy director.[9] The group said that it would campaign against three main policies; the Winter Fuel Payment being means-tested, the government handing sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, and the ban on issuing new oil and gas licences in the North Sea.[9]
The organisation's chairman is Ben Habib, the former Deputy Leader of Reform UK. Advisory board members include Conservative peers Daniel Hannan and Stephen Greenhalgh, political commentator Carl Benjamin, and one former Member of Parliament (MP), Brendan Clarke-Smith.[10] Jim Allister, MP for North Antrim since 2024 and leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice, sits as the group's 'Northern Ireland envoy'.[10]
GB PAC has been described as being far-right,[3][11] radical right,[12] and hard-right.[13][14] OpenDemocracy has labelled the group as "pro-Reform",[9] The Telegraph has called it a "conservative movement",[15] and Hope Not Hate (an advocacy group which campaigns against racism and neo-fascism) has described the group as "a far-right pressure group, packed with extremists".[3][16] GB PAC has labelled itself as "pro-sovereign, pro-right, pro-democratic".[17]
Far-right and extremist members
In February 2025, advocacy group Hope not Hate reported that thirteen members of the advisory board had shared far-right, racist and extremist views, as well as conspiracy theories, online. These included Edward Oakenfull, who was suspended as a Reform candidate in June 2024 over racist remarks about the IQ of Sub-Saharan Africans,[18] Antony Antoniou, who shared a website containing Adolf Hitler’s speeches, and Scott Lewis, who claimed that Sadiq Khan was responsible for the 'Islamisation' of London.[3]
Although Habib and Bullivant were not among the individuals listed, Habib responded on Facebook, writing: "We don't care what our members have said in the past".[10] GB PAC subsequently branded Hope not Hate's report as a "smear campaign".[19] In May 2026, The Financial Times reported that the group had tried to arrange a meeting with the U.S. state department to secure funding.[2]
Merger with Advance UK
Membership ballot
On 3 June 2026, Habib announced his intention to de-register Advance UK and merge it into the Great British PAC.[20] Habib cited the emergence of Restore Britain, a similar far-right splinter party led by Rupert Lowe, as the main reason for doing so.[21] A membership ballot was subsequently held to determine whether this would take place.[22]
| Membership ballot: 5–7 June 2026[23] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Option | Votes | % | |
| Yes — Support the proposal | 6,442 | 87.5 | |
| No — Oppose the proposal | 921 | 12.5 | |
| Majority | 5,521 | 75.0 | |
| Turnout | 7,363 | 19.5 | |
Attempt to block the merger
On 6 June, Habib dismissed Tim Power; the party's chief operating officer (COO), for sending out an unauthorised email which stated that the merger was in violation of Advance UK's constitution.[24] Habib subsequently threatened Power with legal action and reported him to the police under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.[25] GB PAC stated that "Mr Power was subsequently removed from his role and alleged that he tried to disrupt the ballot".[26] Advance UK was voluntarily de-registered on 10 July 2026,[27] and Habib told Byline Times that he would use the remaining £250,000 in cash to support GB PAC's initiatives on a "case-by-case basis".[28]
Campaigns
Involvement with the Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute
High Court injunction
On 21 May 2025, GB PAC organised and funded a High Court of Justice injunction on the Chagos Deal.[29] The case was filed on behalf of a former Chagossian resident by the group, which led to a late-night emergency hearing in the High Court of Justice. The hearing resulting in a temporary High Court injunction against the UK government's planned transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius.[30]
Bullivant told The Observer that she had 'really embarrassed' Keir Starmer and David Lammy.[29] GB PAC said it had crowdfunded[a] the legal action from people concerned that Britain was surrendering its sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.[15][31] On 1 July 2025, the group backed a full judicial review launched by Louis Misley Mandarin.[32] Ben Habib reportedly donated £10,000 to the preceding judicial review in October later that year.[33][better source needed]
Establishment of the government-in-exile
In December 2025, GB PAC organised an election, overseen by an independent polling firm, which led to the establishment of the self-declared Chagossian Government.[34] On 14 March 2026, it launched another judicial review against the government's decision to evict four Chagossians who had previously been repatriated, including the inaugural First Minister of the self-declared government, Louis Misley Mandarin, travelled to the Chagos Islands to protest against a deal.[35][36]
Lawyers working for the Great British PAC pressed to obtain permits from the administration of the British Indian Ocean Territory, to provide further equipment and supplies to the island, as well as recruiting a medical professional and risk assessor to advise on jungle survival.[36] In April 2026, Bullivant criticised border police for preventing Adam Holloway, a former Conservative MP, from delivering supplies to the four Chagossians, describing the situation as 'deeply concerning'.[37]
The Telegraph has described the group as "indispensable" in its opposition to the Chagos Deal.[38] David Vine has argued that the group doesn't seek to return sovereignty back to its original inhabitants, but instead preserve British control, writing; "right-wing figures are cynically using Chagossians to try to uphold the colonial status quo".[7] Further, Sally Tomlinson has argued that the campaign has been "funded mainly by rich Americans".[39]
Allegations of secret deals to return the Elgin Marbles
On 11 July 2025, the group drafted an open letter to the UK government alleging that the British Museum was engaged in a covert agreement to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece, contrary to the British Museum Act 1963, which prohibits the repatriation of artefacts held in the museum.[13][40] Signatories included former Prime Minister Liz Truss, former MP Sir John Redwood and historian Dr David Starkey.[41][42] The group also threatened to take legal action against the government, which was viewed as an attempt to prevent the continuation of restitution negotiations with Greece.[43]
Local campaigns
On 18 July 2025, the group said they were ‘exploring a private prosecution’ after the police decided not to prosecute the vandalism of a painting of Arthur Balfour in Trinity College, Cambridge.[19] In August 2026, the group joined opposition against a planned solar farm in Solihull.[44] GB PAC has also supported events organised by Tommy Robinson, and campaigned for a ban on puberty blockers for transgender youth.[12]
In September 2026, nine members of the group were involved in anti-immigration protests in Falkirk, which included Scotland director Ronni McMenemy, who has stated that “Islam must be removed from the west”.[45]
See also
Notes
- GB PAC raised more than £26,000 via the Crowdfunder website: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/savechagos