Ringleader of anti-capitalist Take Back Power identified as son of megayacht insurer executive

The ringleader of anti-capitalist Take Back Power has been identified as Arthur Clifton, 25, a privately educated son of a top executive at Chaucer, the international insurance broker known for yacht coverage. Clifton is described as a leading organiser for Take Back Power, the protest group that this month dumped manure at The Ritz Hotel in Mayfair and hurled apple crumble and custard at the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. The group has raised about £56,000 through an online fundraiser to push for greater taxes on the rich and to tackle economic inequality.

Clifton’s father, Michael Clifton, 58, is the head of US casualty treaty at Chaucer, an international insurance broker that reported about $3.1 billion in premiums in 2024. Chaucer markets insurance for private yachts, cruise ships and other vessels used by the superrich. A source said that where Arthur’s dad works is in direct opposition to the aims and objectives of Take Back Power, and noted that Clifton’s private education and privileged lifestyle stand in contrast to the movement’s stated goals.

Privately educated at Latymer Upper School, Clifton attended one of the country’s top private institutions, where annual fees run around £30,000. Records show he was recently living in a £2 million West London home. He was previously a member of the direct-action group Youth Demand. Earlier this year he received a 12-month community order, with 120 hours of unpaid work, for causing about £5,000 of criminal damage by spraying orange paint at University College London in 2023.

Take Back Power describes itself as a successor to Just Stop Oil and has said its aim is to tackle economic inequality and impose greater taxes on the rich. In a statement, the group said: “It’s time ordinary people decide how to make the super-rich pay their fair share, in order to fix Britain.”