You might have noticed @openDemocracy publishing a number of stories about Labour's interests recently: who's sponsoring their conference, donating them staff, giving them freebies.

🧵 That's not because we have an axe to grind against one party or another – and of course we're still reporting on the Tories.

It's because Labour are likely to form the next government & we believe it's vital that people know who is cosying up to them on the path to the election.

This is an astonishing example of the influence of right-wing think tanks on our democracy.

Remember Priti Patel's attempt to crack down on protests in the controversial policing bill? (1/)

🧵 The year before she first proposed it, something very similar was suggested not by MPs but by the think tank Policy Exchange in a report that branded XR "extremists". The government was urged to read the report by Tory backbencher Steve Baker. (2/)