Nigel Farage's campaign against the World Health Organization (WHO) is moving to the United States with a new board of lobbyists, sparking questions about why the Reform UK leader is involved in an American pressure group. The Action on World Health campaign, co-founded by Farage, is relocating to Delaware as a charitable foundation and grassroots non-profit.
New board members and relocation details
As part of its relaunch, the campaign has hired Farage's longtime friend and Brexit campaigner Andy Wigmore for its board, alongside Gerry Gunster, an American lobbyist and political strategist who worked on Farage's leave campaign for the 2016 EU referendum. Farage serves as the honorary chair of Action on World Health, which advocates for replacing the WHO, accusing it of being too close to China, "compromised by private funding," and "far left."
The decision to move the campaign to the US and solicit donations in dollars comes after Farage has spent substantial time there since becoming an MP in July 2024, making at least 10 trips to the US. The group's website now appeals for donations via payment card or US bank account and includes a form for people worldwide to email their politicians against the WHO, but notably omits an option for UK residents to contact their MPs.
US context and other board members
Under Donald Trump, the US has already withdrawn from the WHO, which coordinates global responses to pandemics and other health threats. Action on World Health's other London-based board members include Amanda Moslé Friedman, a US businesswoman and associate of Farage who works for the nuclear technology company IP3, and Greg Swenson, chair of Republicans Overseas UK.
In 2024, the Guardian revealed Action on World Health had links to the nicotine industry. Its other co-founder is David Roach, a Reform UK local election candidate, whose company previously provided secretariat services to the Global Initiative on Novel Nicotine, which advocated for nicotine pouches and other products. Roach's company also lobbied on behalf of a vaping company called ANDS.
Manifesto and funding questions
In the Action on World Health "manifesto," released before the UK election in 2024, it opposed "excessive regulation" on vaping. It stated: "Adults should be treated like adults, instead of the WHO bullying countries into treating its citizens like children through excessive regulations on food, alcohol, fizzy drinks, and vaping products that are 95% less harmful than smoking." Roach, asked about his clients at the time, said no vaping or novel nicotine companies were providing funding to Action on World Health, and that David Roach Consulting was not being paid for its services. He added that the group did not have a public list of funders due to confidentiality.
Declaration and criticism
Farage launched the group in May 2024, and his unpaid role was belatedly declared to the MPs' register of interests later that year. The WHO has previously accused Action on World Health of spreading misinformation about its international treaty designed to improve global pandemic preparedness. A spokesperson for the campaign group Spotlight on Corruption commented: "This shows how urgently stricter rules on MPs' second jobs and side hustles are needed. It is disappointing that there has been so little progress on this so far despite this being a major manifesto commitment." Action on World Health, Reform, and Roach did not respond to a request for comment on the group's relocation.
