Minister pays rent to climate protesters

Environment Secretary George Eustice has been unwittingly handing public money to supporters of campaign group Insulate Britain after they bought his constituency office.

Mr Eustice's office, in Camborne, Cornwall, was bought in October by a coalition of investors who have since been donating his rent money to help cover the legal fees of activists facing legal action over their role in a series of highprofile demonstrations.

A total of 30 people provided the £51,000 to acquire the ground-floor property under the company name Cawton – an anagram of Act Now.

They have so far received £2,820 in rent – all of which has gone towards the defence costs of activists – and will get £5,640 plus VAT a year from Mr Eustice.

Oneoftheinvestors,grandmother-of-three Brenda Shrewsbury, said she hoped the move would "inspire others to do what they can" in the fight against climate change and energy crisis.

Insulate Britain made headlines last year when activists blockaded the M25 and other major roads, calling on the Government to retrofit all homes to make them energy efficient.

Thirteen of its members have been sent to prison and 12 received suspended prison sentences.

Mr Eustice has previously called the group "highly irresponsible", and backed the Government taking out an injunction giving police stronger powers to pre-emptively stop the protests.

The minister's spokesperson said: "We live in a free countryandinvestorsarefree to invest in property. There is no law that requires a landlord and tenant to share the same political opinions."