Claire Fox

[[File:Baroness Claire Fox.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Fox in 2020]]
{{ukpolitics}}
'''Claire Fox''' {{lived|1960}} is a [[British]] [[journalist]] and member of the [[House of Lords]], known for her [[libertarian]] politics and lengthy career as a professional [[troll]]. In her younger years, she was involved in the [[Revolutionary Communist Party (UK)|Revolutionary Communist Party]] (RCP) and its magazine ''Living Marxism'' (''LM'') but like many of the group, she moved vastly rightwards. More recently she has been involved in the right-libertarian website [[Spiked]] and her own Institute of Ideas/Academy of Ideas, while appearing on [[BBC]] shows such as ''The Moral Maze'' and ''Question Time''.

She was also briefly a [[European Union|Member of the European Parliament]] for [[Nigel Farage]]'s [[Brexit Party]] before Britain left the [[European Union]]. Shortly afterwards she was nominated as a peer, and now sits as Baroness Fox of Buckley in the House of Lords where she is not affiliated to any party or group.

She has over the years espoused a wide variety of interesting opinions on topics such as [[terrorism]] (in favour of the [[Provisional IRA]]), international law (against), [[freedom of speech]] (very much in favour of<ref name=jeffries2005/>), [[paedophilia]] (accused of defending<ref name=jeffries2005/>), [[multiculturalism]] (against<ref name=jeffries2005/>), the House of Lords (mixed), [[genetically modified food]] (in favour<ref name=pallister2000/><ref name=monbiot2003>[https://www.theguardian.com/education/2003/dec/09/highereducation.uk2 Invasion of the entryists], George Monbiot, The Guardian, 9 Dec 2003</ref>), [[gun control]] (''LM'' opposed<ref name=monbiot2003/>), the [[Bosnian genocide]] (''Living Marxism'' was pro-[[Serbia|Serb]] and [[denialist]]<ref name=pallister2000/>)...

Depending on whom you listen to, she's either part of a sinister corporate-funded [[conspiracy]] [[Anti-environmentalism|threatening the environment]] and [[democracy]], or a boring controversialist repeating the same [[liberal]]-baiting cliches.<ref name=turner2010/>

==Life==
Fox was born in 1960 (her birthplace is variously given as Lancashire in NW England, or [[Wales]]), and reportedly spent much of her childhood in Wales, being raised by [[Irish]] [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] parents. She studied English and American literature at the University of Warwick in the west Midlands, reportedly arriving as an [[anti-abortion]] [[Tory]] and leaving as a [[Marxist]]. She then trained as a teacher and worked as a mental health social worker, before becoming a further education college lecturer. She joined the [[Socialist Workers Party]], then the Revolutionary Communist Tendency (RCT) which became the Revolutionary Communist Party. In her spare time she worked for the RCT's magazine ''Next Step'', and later in the RCP for its journal ''Living Marxism'', becoming its co-publisher.<ref name=jeffries2005/>

She has a long relationship with the University of Buckingham, Britain's first private university and a hotbed of rightwing thought, and is Honorary Professor of Professional Practice in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.<ref>[https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/economics-international/staff International Staff], School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Buckingham, accessed 2 Nov 2022</ref>

==Opinions==
===Free speech===
She is very much in favour of [[free speech]], even if it's people calling for [[Homophobia|gay men to be murdered]].<ref name=jeffries2005/> She has consistently opposed [[no platform]]ing, believing that even the most dangerous ideas can be countered by debate.<ref name=jeffries2005/>

===The IRA===
{{main|Irish Republican Army}}
The RCP and Fox supported Republican terrorists during [[The Troubles]] in [[Northern Ireland]]; the RCP said in 1984 "we support unconditionally the right of the Irish people to carry out their struggle for national liberation in whatever way they choose".<ref name=bbc2020/> Claire and her sister Fiona were members of the Irish Freedom Movement (IFM), which defended the PIRA&nbsp;— until it agreed to a ceasefire. After the 1993 Warrington bombing, which killed 2 children in the town of Warrington, Cheshire, England, the IFM said it supported "the right of the Irish people to take whatever measures necessary in their struggle for freedom".<ref name=byline2019>[https://bylinetimes.com/2019/04/24/fox-breaks-cover-from-revolutionary-communist-to-farages-right-hand-woman/ Fox Breaks Cover – from Revolutionary Communist to Farage's Right Hand Woman], Byline Times, 24 April 2019</ref>

Particularly in 2019 and 2020 when she was standing as a MEP and then nominated for a peerage, Fox received a lot of criticism from those associated with victims of the Provisional IRA's bombings; she refused to condemn or apologise for her past comments, but declared that she now supported the [[Good Friday Agreement]] (when the PIRA leadership agreed to renounce violence) and the peace process. According to anti-IRA campaigner Ruth Dudley Edwards, Fox said at an unspecified point in time on or before 17 August 2020, "I do not support or defend the IRA's killing of two young boys in Warrington in 1993", which was something most people would agree with.<ref name=bbc2020>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-53866958 Claire Fox: From IRA comments controversy to a peerage], BBC News, 22 Aug 2020</ref><ref>[https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/in-defence-of-claire-fox/ In defence of Claire Fox], Ruth Dudley Edwards, ''The Spectator'', 17 Aug 2020</ref>

===Paedophilia===
{{main|Pedophilia}}
According to ''[[The Guardian]]'', "she has stood up for Gary Glitter's right to download child porn" on a Radio 5 phone-in, which proved rather controversial.<ref name=jeffries2005>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/nov/19/comment.radio Claire Fox: infamy's child], Stuart Jeffries, ''The Guardian'', 19 Nov 2005</ref>

===GM foods===
{{main|Genetic modification}}
Fox has been implicated in secretive campaigns to promote GM foods, which may not seem a big deal if one looks at the [[scientific]] [[evidence]], but big evil corporations being evil! She was heavily criticised by ''The Guardian'''s tree-huggers for her support of GM and opposition to the [[organic food]] movement, with ''Guardian'' reporters linking her to GM companies such as Monsanto.<ref name=pallister2000/> She told ''The Guardian'', "It's part of being a [[progressive]] person that I consider agriculture should be as efficient as possible. … GM offers great potential. It's not a [[panacea]] for the [[third world]] and companies will make lots of money out of it".<ref name=jeffries2005/>

Her sister Fiona Fox worked for the Science Media Centre, an organisation funded by [[Big Pharma]] which opposed ''Guardian'' staffers' media depictions of evil Frankenstein foods about to become sentient and kill us in our homes, including in the [[BBC]] drama ''Fields of Gold'' written by former ''Guardian'' editor Alan Rusbridger.<ref name=monbiot2003/> (Fiona Fox was also found to have published a [[pseudonym]]ous article in 1995 under the name Fiona Foster denying the [[Rwandan Genocide]].<ref name=turner2010/>)

===Misogyny===
{{main|Misogyny}}
She has been accused of defending [[sexist]] colleagues and some of her comments seem very anti-women, for instance saying, "When I got involved in politics one of things that was important for me was that a lot of the values associated with masculinity were ideas I would embrace — [[rationality]], leadership, bravery. Why would I want to be a soft carer? What’s interesting now is that society gives more value to feminine characteristics I have little regard for. Emotion more important than reason? Come off it."<ref name=jeffries2005/> (It's not clear how this squares with her career as a social worker and teacher.)

==Political career==
She stood for Nigel Farage's Brexit Party in the 2019 European elections, winning a list seat for Northwest England.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-48417394 European elections 2019: Brexit Party wins three North West seats], BBC News, 27 May 2019</ref>

She was nominated for a peerage by [[Boris Johnson]] in 2020, although not as a Conservative Party peer, and now sits in the House of Lords; speculation is that her support for [[Brexit]] was key to her selection.<ref name=bbc2020/> Although possibly Johnson appreciated her work, being no slouch with controversial utterances and liberal-baiting.

==Media career==
After appearing once as a guest, she became a regular panelist on BBC Radio 4's edgy [[ethical]] discussion show ''The Moral Maze''.<ref name=jeffries2005/><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/religion/moralmaze/moralmaze_claire_fox.shtml Moral Maze Claire Fox], BBC Radio 4 website, undated (c. 2008)</ref> She is no longer a regular as of 2022.<ref>{{wpa|The Moral Maze}}</ref>

==Institute of Ideas==
The Institute of Ideas (IoI) came into being in 2000 from the circle around ''Living Marxism'' and the Revolutionary Communist Party, organising a series of conferences and events around the UK.<ref name=pallister2000>[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/jul/08/davidpallister.johnvidal1 Life after Living Marxism: Fighting for freedom - to offend, outrage and question everything], David Pallister, John Vidal, Kevin Maguire, ''The Guardian'', 8 July 2000</ref><ref name=jeffries2005/> It operates under a variety of names including Academy of Ideas, Battle of Ideas, and Festival of Ideas. Maybe this is because IoI looks suspiciously like "lol".

''The Guardian'' found that IoI had received funding from American pro-corporate/right-wing group [[Reason (magazine)|Reason Foundation]].<ref name=pallister2000/>

IoI has organised events with prominent UK institutions including the British Library, British Museum, the Royal College of Art, and the National Portrait Gallery.<ref>[https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Institute_of_Ideas Institute of Ideas], SourceWatch, accessed 2 Nov 2022</ref> Its events include the Battle of Ideas, which began in 2005 organising annual conferences. Jenny Turner criticised these events for always featuring the same narrow range of speakers who have "a habit of sitting on panels together, pretending they don’t already know each other", and always saying the same things; Turner found the Battle of Ideas "deadly boring".<ref name=turner2010>[https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v32/n13/jenny-turner/who-are-they Who Are They?: Jenny Turner reports from the Battle of Ideas], Jenny Turner, ''London Review of Books'', Vol. 32 No. 13 · 8 July 2010</ref>

The 2022 Battle of Ideas was held in London on 15 and 16 October 2022. The line-up included a bunch of right-wing controversialists including [[Matt Ridley]], {{wpl|Andrew Doyle||,}} Lord (Daniel) Moylan (a Tory peer), {{wpl|Rod Liddle||,}} {{wpl|Allison Pearson||,}} Leo Kearse, "and many more". Plus Sunetra Gupta (controversial for her views on [[COVID-19]]), and a few token lefties like {{wpl|Aaron Bastani}} (Novara Media). It also featured a large number of [[TERF]]s and [[transphobia|anti-trans]] campaigners, including [[Maya Forstater]], [[Helen Joyce]], [[Graham Linehan]], James Dreyfus, and [[Julie Bindel]]. Some events were in conjunction with trollish right-wing TV channel [[GB News]].<ref>[https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/battle-of-ideas-festival-2022-tickets-370471780067 Battle of Ideas 2002 Tickets], EventBrite, 2022</ref><ref>[https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/09/13/covid-19-and-the-new-merchants-of-doubt/ Covid-19 and the new merchants of doubt], David Gorski and Gavin Yamey, ''BMJ Blogs'', 13 Sep 2021</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/andrewdoyle_com/status/1581592807910756354 Yesterday we recorded a special edition of Free Speech Nation at the Battle of Ideas in Westminster. You can watch it tonight at 7pm on @GBNEWS. Huge thanks to @DreyfusJames @RosieKayK2CO @mattwridley @LeoKearse @joshxhowie and Graham Linehan for being such wonderful guests!], Andrew Doyle (@andrewdoyle.com), Twitter, 11:28 AM · Oct 16, 2022</ref>

A smaller event was held in Belfast in March 2022 as part of the Imagine Festival. Speakers included Ryan Christopher, Director of the [[Alliance Defending Freedom]] (which is an anti-LGBT hate group according to the [[SPLC]]<ref>[https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/alliance-defending-freedom Alliance Defending Freedom], Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed Dec 3, 2022</ref>); Olivia Hartley the publisher of ''[[The Critic]]''; Jenny Holland from ''The Critic'' and ''Spiked''; Inaya Folarin Iman from GB News; and Alistair Donald of Battle of Ideas.<ref>[https://imaginebelfast.com/events/the-belfast-battle-of-ideas/ The Belfast Battle of Ideas], Imagine Belfast, 2022, accessed Dec 3, 2022</ref> Very much a case of the same people talking to themselves.

It shouldn't be confused with the Institute of Art and Ideas, founded by Hilary Lawson, that organises the HowTheLightGetsIn [[philosophy]] festival.<ref>{{wpa|Institute of Art and Ideas}}</ref> Although since Lawson is an anti-realist philosopher who believes the world is constituted by language, who knows if there's a difference?

==Associates==
In 2000, ''The Guardian'' associated Fox and the Institute of Ideas with a range of mainly right-wing groups such as Transport Research Group (pro-roadbuilding), Families for Freedom (one of several organisations with that name), Freedom & Law, the Association of British Drivers (pro-motorist), Audacity.org (opposed to restraints on building and development), and American group Reason Foundation.<ref name=pallister2000/>

She has admitted that the Institute of ideas received money from drug company Pfizer and GM agriculture firm Syngenta.<ref name=jeffries2005/>

Some analysis of their influence runs dangerously close to [[conspiracy theory]] thinking. George Monbiot pointed out that people connected with ''LM'' and ''Spiked'' had "infiltrated" a range of organisations including British Pregnancy Advisory Service, groups connected with human [[embryo]] research such as the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, and other organisations involved in [[genetics]] such as Genepool, though he conceded "it's not easy to understand why it is happening. Are we looking at a group which wants power for its own sake, or one following a political design, of which this is an intermediate step?"<ref name=monbiot2003/> [[Neoconservative]] journalist [[Nick Cohen]] is another person obsessed with LM conspiracy theories.<ref name=turner2010/>

Addressing claims of a "LM network" of former ''Living Marxism'' people infiltrating British institutions, Jenny Turner in the ''London Review of Books'' suggested that they could be viewed as a "loose, informal group of people" with similar ideas and associations:

{{quotebox|...some of whom share memories of passionate commitment to a tiny democratic-centralist organisation, some of whom don’t; all of whom seem roughly to agree with each other on a rather shallow and repetitive libertarian agenda, and to display varying degrees of left-liberal-baiting enthusiasm for all the big, scary corporate technologies, especially those involving genetic manipulation, petrochemicals, non-sustainable power generation, human cells.<ref name=turner2010/>}}

She compared them not to a [[secret society]] but to other groups of people of similar backgrounds who seemed to have disproportionate power or influence, akin to "Oxbridge or Scottish or London literary mafias, or Guardianistas, or YBAs".<ref name=turner2010/>

==References==
{{Reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fox, Claire}}
[[Category:British people]]
[[Category:British politicians]]
[[Category:Communists]]
[[Category:Libertarians]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Trolls]]
[[Category:Leftists who turned right with age]]

Categories: British people, British politicians, Communists, Libertarians, Living people, Trolls, Leftists who turned right with age