Report: A Growing Threat – the Anti-Rights Movement in the UK (July 2026)

This report provides a snapshot of the UK anti-rights ecosystem at the end of June 2026. It thus provides an update to our findings published in July 2025 on the growing anti-rights movement in the UK and USA.

This latest research includes our findings on gender-critical organisations, which were first examined in detail in a separate briefing published in May 2026.

Download and read the full anti-rights movement report below.

• An organised anti-rights movement targeting the rights of women and LGBT+ people is growing in the UK. Over 60% of the organisations mapped have emerged since 2017, the vast majority gender critical organisations.
• Out of the sample of 117 organisations mapped, 37 have spent over £144 million between 2019 and 2024, an increase of 47%.
• One in three of the organisations mapped are registered charities, this means they can apply for institutional funding and may be eligible for ‘Gift Aid’ – a scheme enabling registered charities to reclaim tax on donations.
• The biggest spenders are ultra-conservative Christian policy and advocacy organisations (£46.7 million), followed by UK branches of US groups (£43.9 million) and anti-abortion organisations (£35.8 million).
• Out of 117, 43 organisations appear to be based or headquartered outside of London. This suggests that anti-rights activity is geographically widespread and not concentrated in London. Even when actors have specific locations, they may be active beyond these on their own and/or in partnership with other actors in other locations.
• There is evidence of crisis pregnancy centres receiving funding from the government as well as the National Lottery.

• Review the awarding of charitable status to organisations that advocate for the removal of human rights protections, target minority groups, or promote disinformation and harmful practices.
• Strengthen the criteria used to assess whether organisations meet the public benefit test required for charitable status.

• Investigate the activities of CPCs and their impact on access to healthcare and information for women and pregnant people.
• Ensure that NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards do not signpost patients to CPCs through websites, publications or other information materials and train staff accordingly.
• Work with the Charity Commission to review whether CPCs registered as charities are operating in line with relevant standards and regulatory requirements.

• Improve understanding of the nature, objectives and activities of anti-rights organisations, including their impact at local level.
• Strengthen due diligence processes to reduce the risk of funding organisations whose activities undermine human rights protections.
• Fund the ongoing monitoring of anti-rights movements and organisations.