In the 2017\/2018 report, the UK\u2019s ranking improved from seventh to fourth after a change in methodology.<\/p>\n
But Mr Schwab, 87, wrote to staff that the UK \u201cmust not see any improvement\u201d, as otherwise it would be \u201cexploited by the Brexit camp\u201d.<\/p>\n
The final report published in 2017 showed the UK had dropped one place to eighth.<\/p>\n
The WEF said at the time the Brexit vote had not fed into the rankings but warned it was likely to undermine UK competitiveness in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrexit \u2026 will by definition weaken the UK\u2019s markets component as integration with the EU is rolled back,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n
At the time of the report, the UK had voted to leave the European Union but had not yet done so, and the difficult Brexit negotiations were at their beginning.<\/p>\n
There was still discussion of the possibility of holding a second referendum in order to reverse the result of the 2016 vote.<\/p>\n
Baroness Theresa May, the then-Prime Minister, spoke at the Davos summit in January 2017 and 2018. She said that Britain was looking to its post-Brexit future \u201cwith confidence\u201d and planned to \u201cbuild a truly Global Britain\u201d based around free trade.<\/p>\n
Allegations that Mr Schwab ordered the figures to be changed were made in an internal WEF investigation, launched after a whistleblower accused him of misusing funds, making suggestive remarks to younger staff, and manipulating research.<\/p>\n
Switzerland\u2019s SonntagsZeitung <\/a>newspaper obtained some of the preliminary findings.<\/p>\n Brexiteers told The Telegraph that allegations of tampering with data exposed \u201canti-democratic practices\u201d at the WEF.<\/p>\n The WEF\u2019s annual meeting at Davos has become a symbol of out-of-touch elitism but also a lightning rod for conspiracy theories.<\/p>\n In 2020, King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, and Mr Schwab called for the Covid pandemic to be used as a \u201cgreat reset\u201d of the world economy.<\/p>\n This was seized upon by online conspiracy theorists<\/a> as proof unelected leaders were plotting a tyrannical world government.<\/p>\n During the preparation of the same report, according to the investigation, Mr Schwab allegedly ensured that India did not drop 20 places in the ranking.<\/p>\n He was hoping to convince Narendra Modi, India\u2019s prime minister, to join the conference in the Swiss Alpine ski resort, which is attended by about 60 world leaders every year.<\/p>\n Mr Schwab reportedly wrote: \u201cWe must protect our relationship with India before Davos 2019.\u201d India ranked 40th, just one place lower than the previous year in the report.<\/p>\n Expenses claims<\/p>\n The investigation carried out by Homburger, the law firm, also looked into some \u00a3836,000 in expenses submitted by Schwab and his wife Hilde. SonntagsZeitung reported the expenses allegedly lacked sufficient links to WEF activities.<\/p>\n It is also alleged Mr Schwab sent suggestive emails and had \u201cembarrassing interactions\u201d with younger WEF staff. The final results of the investigation have not yet been published.<\/p>\n Mr Schwab accused the WEF board of breaking an agreement on media restraint tied to the investigation after the initial findings were leaked to SonntagsZeitung.<\/p>\n He said he had co-operated with the inquiry on the basis that both sides would not make public comments on the investigation.<\/p>\n Klaus Schwab with Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2020 – Fabrice Coffrini\/AFP via Getty<\/p>\n \u201cI feel deceived,\u201d he said on Sunday, \u201cI am not available for further investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n Before Davos 2017, the first to be held since the Brexit referendum and the election of Donald Trump, Mr Schwab called on attendees to help \u201covercome the present mood of divisiveness and negativism\u201d.<\/p>\n That year, he acknowledged that globalisation had become an \u201ceasy scapegoat\u201d for rising populism, as typified by the Brexit vote.<\/p>\n In 2016, he described the referendum result as \u201cone challenge more for the global economy\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2018A stain on the reputation of the WEF\u2019<\/p>\n Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, commented: \u201cFor such a senior figure in geopolitical affairs to have 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The conservative MP for Witham added: \u201cThe WEF had built its reputation on geopolitical thought leadership but has now been exposed for its own anti democratic practices, sinister manipulation and corrupted process all based upon damaging Britain\u2019s reputation and standing in the world because of Schwab\u2019s narrow minded and selfish ideological purposes.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"They](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/716591c4cadbf8b842d5be28f4f6ab77.jpeg\"\/)
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