Founded in 1954, the Bilderberg Group holds an annual conference of 120 of the world’s most powerful and influential people. Participants from 18 different countries, invited by a steering committee comprised of two people, typically include financiers, industrialists, politicians, royalty and newspaper editors. Past delegates have included Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, shortly before becoming heads of state. Reporters, however, are not invited: the Bilderberg Group’s meetings are conducted in privacy, with strict confidentiality rules to foster open discussion. The Group was established to promote understanding and cooperation between the United States and Europe and to create an informal network for the global elite. No votes are taken at the conference and no policies are agreed. However, the secrecy surrounding the conferences has given rise to numerous conspiracy theories. Right-wing critics believe that the Bilderberg Group is a shadowy global government, with some conspiracy theorists holding the Group responsible for organising events including the overthrow of Margaret Thatcher, the Bosnian War and the invasion of Iraq. Left-wing activists, who call for greater transparency, accuse the Group of being an unelected capitalist cabal controlling world finance. While opponents view the Group as undemocratic, supporters argue that modern democracies depend on cooperation between banking and politics, and that organisations such as the Bilderberg Group help ensure their success.