The National Trust’s communications director Celia Richardson has criticised comments made by right wing commentator Nigel Farage that the charity needs “a bit of common sense” knocked into it.

The former UKIP leader made the comments in reference to an attempt by Restore Trust, a Tufton Street linked right wing lobby group, to gain seats on the charity’s council this autumn.

He said: “I hope that Restore Trust knocks a bit of common sense into what was once the great National Trust.”

But in a critical rebuttal post on social media platform X, Richardson said: “The National Trust is respected in the UK and around the world. It doesn’t need anything knocking into it.”

She then flagged up members’ chance to vote for its council and AGM resolutions.

Voting in the council elections, AGM resolutions and to register to attend the meeting closes at 11:50pm on Friday 3 November.

The National Trust is respected in the UK and around the world. It doesn’t need anything knocking into it. Voting opens today for Council and AGM resolutions. It takes two minutes https://t.co/Xdkr2Py3SW pls share pic.twitter.com/FaNYsmffde

— Celia Richardson (@CeliaRichards0n) September 1, 2023

Richardson has also reposted her comment from last year to clarify that Restore Trust “is NOT part of the National Trust”. She clarified that it is a separate, private company and urged the charity’s supporters to “please challenge” any claims in Restore Trust’s communications that it is part of the National Trust.

Worth reposting this from Autumn last year. I can see from some tweets that there’s still a bit of confusion. https://t.co/j7Dj4m8DL6

— Celia Richardson (@CeliaRichards0n) September 4, 2023

In addition, Richardson has hit back at an ‘anti-woke’ article in right wing newspaper The Telegraph this month criticising the charity’s so-called ‘woke’ stance on addressing the UK’s colonial past and involvement in the slave trade.

She said that “one of the aims of manufactured ‘woke rows’ is to undermine institutions and their influence”, adding “but independent research consistently shows public trust” in the charity is “very high”.

Restore Trust

Restore Trust has put forward five candidates for the National Trust’s council this year: Philip Gibbs, Andrew Gimson, Violet Manners, Philip Merricks and former justice of the Supreme Court Lord Sumption.

At last year’s National Trust AGM two recommendations backed by the Restore Trust group were thrown out by members.

It had wanted to create an independent Ombudsman’s office to “ensure that the National Trust is accountable to its stakeholders and is able to resolve complaints effectively”. This was rejected by 86,854 votes to 24,949.

The National Trust had urged members to reject this proposal saying that it is already “subject to oversight from a large number of regulatory bodies”.

Restore Trust had also wanted to scrap the charity chair’s discretionary proxy vote on members resolutions, but this was thrown out by 70,224 votes to 50,263.

Restore Trust also failed to see any of its candidates win council seats at the AGM, which also saw recommendations condemning rewilding and the charity’s involvement in Pride parades rejected.

In January this year Good Law Project revealed that RT2021 Limited, the company behind Restore Trust’s website, includes Neil Record as a director. Record is also chairman of climate change denial group Net Zero Watch, which is based at 55 Tufton Street.

The Good Law Project is concerned around the influence of right wing think tanks and lobby groups based around this address.

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