Byline Times Podcast

James Orr: Reform's Cambridge Kingmaker

Byline Times Podcast

Show Notes

Adrian Goldberg highlights a brilliant Byline Times investigation by Nafeez Ahmed and Peter Jukes which exposes the links between Cambridge University, Reform UK and the Trump-supporting US tech billionaire Peter Thiel…

The individual who connects all three is James Orr – who is both an associate professor of Divinity at Cambridge AND Head of Policy at Reform. He’s been described as Nigel Farage’s kingmaker.

Orr runs a postgraduate compound in Cambridge , which has hosted various controversial figures including Peter Thiel himself, his protégé, US vice-president JD Vance, Dutch anti-Islam campaigner Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Canadian anti woke activist Jordan Peterson.

Nafeez and Peter raise serious questions about student safeguarding, the funding of Orr’s operation and, ultimately, foreign influence in UK politics.

Produced by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White In Birmingham.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from Byline Times Podcast

Oct 23, 2026

Adrian Goldberg talks to former UK diplomat Alex Hall Hall about President Trump's relationship with Vladimir Putin and the forthcoming US mid term elections.

Oct 19, 2026

Adrian Goldberg discusses ITV's undercover investigation of Reform UK, which uncovered racism among candidates and councillors, with Byline Times Investigations editor, Nafeez Ahmed.

Oct 15, 2026

Adrian Goldberg is joined by Abrham Meareg, whose father was murdered in Ethiopia after disinformation was posted on Facebook. We also hear from Martha Dark at Foxglove, which is supporting Abrahm in a legal case against Facebook's owners, Meta.

Oct 12, 2026

Russia DID interfere in the 2016 EU referendum, according to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Adrian Goldberg hears from Byline Times editor Peter Jukes who has been making this case for the best part of a decade.

Oct 9, 2026

In partnership with The Reckoning Project, we look at how war crimes can be pursued across borders. With Janine Di Giovanni. Introduced by Adrian Goldberg for Byline Times.

See all episodes →