BIAS IN TRIPLICATE

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From this morning's Today:
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Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats want to replace the regional development agencies. In north-east England, the RDA has been more popular than some of its counterparts elsewhere. Professor John Tomaney, director for the Centre for urban and regional development at Newcastle University, and Ed Cox, director of the northern office of the think tank The Institute for Public Policy Research, analyses the dangers of similar products. http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8631000/8631670.stm
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It usually is the IPPR, the IPPR it usually is!
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As ever James Naughtie merely named the organisation as a think tank, without adding any labels - such as 'left-leaning' or 'Labour-aligned'.
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Ed Cox from the IPPR was clearly on the side of Labour's RDAs, presenting the case against as essentially being an argument put forward by London and the South East, which see "easy pickings" as far as savings are concerned, and adding "Well, the National Audit Office, which is an independent organisation, has recently reviewed the role of RDAs and has concluded that they are good value for money, that every pound they spend that three additional pounds are brought in." He was, prior to becoming director of IPPR North, policy advisor to Hazel Blears.
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His other guest, Prof Tomaney, was also on the side of Labour's RDAs and enthusiastically so. Indeed, he is one of the leading advocates for them. Here are some facts about Prof Tomaney that James Naughtie chose not to mention:
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- He wrote a report with former Labour MP David Marquand called 'Democratising England' for the 'Campaign for English Regions', which he chaired.
- He wrote 'Empowering the English Regions', with Michelle Mitchell of left-wing pressure group Charter 88 (now Unlock Democracy).
- He wrote a report with John Adams of the IPPR (oh yes!!!!) called 'Restoring the Balance', backing Labour's white paper on regional government.
- He has just been appointed a research fellow at The Smith Institute, the controversial 'charity' named after the late Labour leader John Smith and said to be extremely close to Gordon Brown.
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This level of (hidden) bias is completely unacceptable.
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And there's more too.
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Prof Tomaney and Mr Cox weren't the only supporters of Labour's RDAs. Another famous Labour supporter came out in support - James Naughtie. Though one question essayed a devil's advocacy of the anti-RDA Case, the whole package was full of these sort of helpful questions, which leave no doubt as to his true feelings:
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"What is it that the RDA has done here leaves it with, as far as I can judge anyway - and people generally agree with this -, a fairly good reputation in the region?"
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"And I suppose we've gone through a period of profound industrial change in the North East, from shipbuilding and steel and mining to something quite different. I mean I was in Sunderland the other day and the difference is palpable, and looking what Nissan are doing there and so on, I mean, it's a place that's had to undergo a quite often very, very painful transition, so a body like that in those circumstances is probably appreciated." ("Absolutely", replied Prof Tomaney.)
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"And the question Ed Cox would be if it were properly directed people might say it was money well spent . I mean it could be well spent or badly spent."
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He also swung his devil's advocate question from "the critics" in general to "the Conservatives", giving Mr Cox his chance to present it as a case of South East English Conservatives looking for spending cuts and seeing the opportunity to "salami-slice" the money going to the Great Northern Peoples' Assembly.
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So another Labour love-in on Today, and during a general election too.
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Have they no shame?
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