Bruges Group

Part of the Powerbase Brexit Portal.

The Bruges Group is a think-tank established in February 1989 that supported Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum. Its founder president was Margaret Thatcher.

It has stated that its aim is to 'bring together those from across Europe and North America' who oppose a federalist EU,'so that Baroness Thatcher's vision of a free trading, decentralised, deregulated and democratic Europe of nation-states' can be realised (text no longer on its website).

Support for Brexit

The Bruges Group supports Brexit.

It says it is 'spearheading the intellectual battle against European integration, EU federalism, centralisation and enlargement', as well as 'promoting the positive alternatives to membership of the EU and the need to restore British sovereignty and democracy.'

It has also long supported 'fundamental reform'of the Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy, European Court and European Parliament, arguing that there has been no popular agreement to the huge transfer of power, which has already taken place from the people of Britain to Brussels.

Funding

The Bruges Group does not publish its funders.

Funding has come from businessmen, including James Hanson, Lord White, James Goldsmith, Rocco Forte and Patrick Barbour.

People

2017

Key people listed on Bruges Group website, Nov 2017:

• Lord Norman Tebbit, president
• Norman Lamont, vice-president
• Barry Legg, chair
• Robert Oulds, director
• John O'Sullivan, Washington D.C. Representative
• Jack Soames, Head of Media

c2006

Principals
Margaret Thatcher Hon. President	Norman Lamont Vice-President	Brian Hindley Co-Chairman
Barry Legg Co-Chairman	Robert Oulds Director	Helen Szamuely Head of Research
John O'Sullivan Washington D.C. Representative
Former Chairman
Kenneth Minogue	Lord Harris of High Cross	Martin Holmes
Academic Advisory Council
Tim Congdon	Kenneth Minogue	Christie Davies
Norman Stone	Richard Howarth	Patrick Minford
Ruth Lea	Anew Roberts	Martin HoweQC
Lord Harris of High Cross	John O'Sullivan
Sponsors and Patrons
E P Gardner	Dryden Gilling-Smith	Lord Kalms
David Caldow	Anew Cook	Lord Howard
Brian Kingham	Lord Pearson of Rannoch	Eddie Addison
Ian Butler	Thomas Griffin	Lord Young of Graffham
Michael Fisher	Oliver Marriott	Rocco Forte
Graham Hale	W J Edwards	Michael Freeman
Richard E.L. Smith
Commentators
Martin Ball	Tim Congdon	Christie Davies
Graham Eardley	Margit Gennser	Roger Helmer MEP
Brian Hindley	Martin Holmes	Damon Lambert
Norman Lamont	Sally McNamara	Patrick Minford
Kenneth Minogue	Richard North	Robert Oulds
Leolin Price	Lee Rotherham	Helen Szamuely
Gawain Towler	Marcus Watney

Contact

Address: 246 Linen Hall, 162-168 Regent Street, London W1B 5TB

TEL: +44 (0)20 7287 4414

Website: www.brugesgroup.com