According to an internal investigation at the World Economic Forum (WEF), data was allegedly rigged to make Brexit look like a failure.
Klaus Schwab, the founder of the WEF, was reported to have allegedly intervened in the organisation’s annual Global Competitiveness Report, which ranks countries on productivity and long-term prosperity.
Britain’s rating initially improved in the 2017/2018 report, rising from seventh to fourth place following a change in the report’s methodology.
Schwab, though, allegedly ordered staff to hide any improvement in the UK, because it would be “exploited by the Brexit camp”, UK newspaper The Telegraph reported on July 21.
Instead, the final report showed that the UK dropped one spot, down to eighth.
It was added that the drop “does not yet reflect the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, which is likely to further undermine the country’s competitiveness”.
Conversely, India was allegedly represented to look better than it really was.
According to the organisation’s numbers, India should have dropped 20 places in the ranking. But Schwab allegedly ordered his staff to “protect” their relationship with India before the next top meeting.
He reportedly wanted Modi to join the next summit in Davos and the country ranked 40th that year, only one spot lower compared to the year before.
The allegations against Schwab and the organisation also appeared on July 20 in the Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung, which claimed it had come into possession of some of the preliminary findings of an internal investigation against the WEF founder.
Schwab was pushed out of the organisation in April, after a series of accusations of alleged professional misconduct.
His resignation had been demanded unanimously by the 27 members of the WEF’s board of trustees after they were informed he had allegedly threatened some trustees following their recommendation of an investigation into some of the allegations.
There were reportedly 70 allegations of sexual harassment, racial discrimination and leadership “errors”.
Allegations that Schwab ordered changes to the figures emerged during an internal WEF investigation, launched after a whistle blower accused him of allegedly misusing funds, making inappropriate remarks to younger staff and interfering with research.
Pro-Brexit politicians told The Telegraph that allegations of tampering with data exposed “anti-democratic practices” at the WEF.
Nigel Farage, arch-Brexiteer and the leader of Reform UK Party, alleged to the newspaper: “Every conspiracy theory about Klaus Schwab now turns out to be true. He is a dangerous globalist manipulator.”
Richard Tice, deputy leader, added: “No surprise the globalist WEF appears to have [allegedly] distorted facts to prevent sovereignty and independence being seen as a good thing. They are a dreadful organisation that Reform will have nothing to do with.”
Priti Patel, the Conservative Party shadow foreign secretary, said: “For such a senior figure in geopolitical affairs to have [allegedly] conspired and manipulated information against Brexit and the democratic outcome of a political process is a stain on the reputation of the WEF and those who are part of that forum, and it is thoroughly unacceptable.
“The WEF had built its reputation on geopolitical thought leadership but has now been exposed for its own anti-democratic practices, sinister [alleged] manipulation and corrupted process all based upon damaging Britain’s reputation and standing in the world because of Schwab’s narrow-minded and selfish ideological purposes,” she added.
David Frost, member of the House of Lords, Brexit deal negotiator and regular commentator with Brussels Signal, told The Telegraph: “It’s rare we get such clear direct evidence of the global establishment’s hostility to Brexit.
“Schwab’s alleged deliberate downgrading of Brexit Britain in his Global Competitiveness Report, directly contrary to the actual evidence, shows how deeply embedded distrust of national independence is, and how determined so many people are to suppress any discussion of its benefits.”
Brussels Signal reached out to the WEF for comment but had not received a response at the time of writing.
French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed Brexit for the Channel-crossing migrant crisis, claiming the British people had been “sold a lie”. https://t.co/eqouN3DVaG
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) July 11, 2025
