Editing Richard Branson (section)

==Politics==
In the 1980s, Branson was briefly given the post of "litter Tsar" by [[Margaret Thatcher]]—charged with "keeping Britain tidy".<ref>{{cite news |first=David |title=Britsaver – an accident waiting to happen. |url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article745236.ece |access-date=27 August 2007 |work=[[The Times]] |location=London |date=3 December 2005 |last=Byers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612162246/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article745236.ece |archive-date=12 June 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Heintke |first=Martina |title=Sir Richard Branson |url=http://www.pointmade.co.uk/news_letters_6.htm |access-date=27 August 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070817055553/http://www.pointmade.co.uk/news_letters_6.htm |archive-date = 17 August 2007}}</ref> During the BBC Coverage of the [[1997 UK General Election]], Branson was interviewed at the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] celebrations at the [[Royal Festival Hall]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/XoL_tT046tI Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20191212061437/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoL_tT046tI Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoL_tT046tI|title=BBC 1997 General Election – Part One|date=20 September 2017 |via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 2005, he declared that there were only negligible differences between the two main parties on economic matters.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4450641.stm | title=Labour and Tories same – Branson | access-date=23 September 2006 |work=BBC News| date=15 April 2005 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051121181918/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4450641.stm | archive-date=21 November 2005 | url-status=live }}</ref> He was suggested as a candidate for [[Mayor of London]] before the [[2000 London mayoral election|first 2000 election]], with polls indicating he would be a viable candidate, but he did not express interest.<ref>{{cite web|title=Do Blacks Need a New London Mayor? |url=http://www.thechronicle.demon.co.uk/archive/londmayo.htm |access-date=27 August 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061003034349/http://www.thechronicle.demon.co.uk/archive/londmayo.htm |archive-date = 3 October 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Londoners snub politicians for mayor |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/london_referendum/84708.stm |access-date=27 August 2007 |work=BBC News|date=28 April 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040720003108/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/london_referendum/84708.stm |archive-date=20 July 2004 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Who's in the running for mayor? |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/london_referendum/73363.stm |access-date=27 August 2007 |work=BBC News|date=10 April 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912175200/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/london_referendum/73363.stm |archive-date=12 September 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2015, Branson said that almost all drug use should be decriminalised in the UK, following [[Drug policy of Portugal|the example of Portugal]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/03/uk-should-begin-decriminalising-drugs-richard-branson-nick-clegg|title=UK should begin decriminalising drugs, say Richard Branson and Nick Clegg|first=Patrick|last=Wintour|work=The Guardian|access-date=2 June 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603010831/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/03/uk-should-begin-decriminalising-drugs-richard-branson-nick-clegg|archive-date=3 June 2015}}</ref>

Branson supported continuing British membership of the [[European Union]] and was opposed to the [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|2016 referendum]].<ref>Stadlen, Matthew. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/10406991/An-EU-vote-ridiculous.html "An EU vote? ridiculous"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123154401/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/10406991/An-EU-vote-ridiculous.html |date=23 November 2018 }}. ''The Telegraph''. 26 October 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2014.</ref> On 28 June 2016, interviewed for ITV's ''[[Good Morning Britain (2014 TV programme)|Good Morning Britain]]'', he said that his company had lost a third of its value as a result of the referendum result and that a planned venture, employing more than 3,000 people, which he had announced before the referendum, had been shelved. He gave his backing for a [[Proposed referendum on the Brexit withdrawal agreement|second referendum]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/video/2016/jun/28/richard-branson-virgin-group-lost-a-third-of-value-since-brexit-vote-video|title=Richard Branson: Virgin Group lost a third of value since Brexit vote |format= video|newspaper=The Guardian|date=28 June 2016|access-date=28 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160628161703/https://www.theguardian.com/business/video/2016/jun/28/richard-branson-virgin-group-lost-a-third-of-value-since-brexit-vote-video|archive-date=28 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Branson endorsed Democratic candidate [[Hillary Clinton]] in the run-up for the [[2016 US presidential election]].<ref>Branson, R. [https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/i-want-entrepreneur-become-president-one-day-just-not-donald-trump Virgin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417180445/https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/i-want-entrepreneur-become-president-one-day-just-not-donald-trump |date=17 April 2019 }} 14 October 2016.</ref>

Branson openly criticised the [[Philippine drug war]] marred by allegations of [[extrajudicial killings]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Duterte's war on drugs is not the answer by Richard Branson |url=https://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/dutertes-war-on-drugs-is-not-the-answer-by-richard-branson |publisher=Global Commission on Drug Policy |access-date=14 November 2022 |date=4 August 2016}}</ref> In September 2016, he, along with former [[United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]] [[Louise Arbour]] and former Brazilian president [[Fernando Henrique Cardoso]], wrote a letter to then-[[Philippine]] president [[Rodrigo Duterte]] calling on his government to halt the killings and develop [[evidence-based policies]] to address the Philippines' drug situation.<ref>{{cite web |title=To the President of the Philippines |url=https://idpc.net/es/news/2016/09/to-the-president-of-the-philippines |publisher=International Drug Policy Consortium |access-date=14 November 2022 |language=Spanish |date=12 September 2016}}</ref>

After expressing his opposition to the [[death penalty]] for crimes such as drug trafficking, in October 2022, Branson was invited by Singapore's government to participate in a live television debate regarding this country's approach to drugs and the death penalty. However, Branson declined this invitation, stating that such debates often focus on the personalities rather than the issue itself.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63451982 | title=Sir Richard Branson declines Singapore death penalty TV debate invitation | date=31 October 2022 | work =BBC News |access-date=31 October 2022}}</ref>