THE WORLD TONIGHT, PART 1

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How has that most consistently left-liberal of Radio 4 current affairs programmes The World Tonight been getting on recently?
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Mon 12/4 The programme reviewed Labour's manifesto. Ritula Shah's expert was none other than Prof Colin Talbot, who seems to be the BBC's favourite academic. For once he didn't attack the Conservatives, but instead (like Labour supporter Sir Gerry Robinson on The World at One) criticised Labour's policy on foundation hospitals, and public service reform in general. So an attack from the Left. Then Ritula jointly interviewed Labour-supporting Steve Richards of The Independent and Tim Montgomerie of ConservativeHome, displaying a little impatience with Tim and giving Mr Richards both the first and the last word. No BBC analysts were tasked with fisking the Labour manifesto.
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Tue 13/4 The programme reviewed the Conservative manifesto. The first difference in approach was that, whereas on Monday's programme the criticisms of Labour by the Tories and Lib Dems were briefly read out by Ritula, here we heard audio clips from Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg attacking the Conservatives. The second difference was that the BBC's Stephanie Flanders "has been running a fine tooth-comb through the Conservative plans" and was invited on to give her verdict. She was distinctly unimpressed. "Are we any wiser?" asked Ritula. "I'm afraid not", replied Stephanie. Thereafter, it was all about her repeated surprise at what wasn't in the Tory manifesto. She was surprised so often her eyebrows might very well have achieved lift-off and now be orbiting around Saturn.
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The third difference, following on from this, was the much greater time spent scrutinising the Tory manifesto than Labour's. Conservative education policy was closely examined. Vox-pops from London were canvassed on whether the idea of parental involvement in schools is a good idea or not. The results were mixed, but the final words of the final vox-popper, left hanging in the air, were 'I'd be sceptical'! That said, there was a balanced report on charter schools in New Orleans from the BBC's Zoe Conway followed by Dr Anthony Seldon, who was broadly supportive, though he also had some concerns. Tuesday's equivalents of Messers Richards and Montgomerie were Philip Stephens of the Financial Times and Nick Wood "a public relations consultant and former Conservative media director". The former was critical, the latter supportive. Guess which one was repeatedly interrupted by Ritula Shah?
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Wed 14/4 The programme reviewed the Lib Dem manifesto. Audio clips of criticism from Gordon Brown and David Cameron followed, meaning that the Lib Dems did as badly as the Conservatives in this respect. Only Labour didn't get this sort of treatment! That said the clips here were much shorter than those directed against the Conservatives, so it turns out that the Conservatives fared worst after all. Here both Brown and Cameron got just 8 seconds each to have a go at the Lib Dems. Compare that to Tuesday, when Brown got 29 seconds and Clegg got 19 seconds to attack the Tories. The Lib Dems (like the Conservatives, but unlike Labour) also got a review from Stephanie Flanders, who offered a balanced appraisal of it rather than the wholly negative review she gave the Tories. Will the Lib Dem reputation for honesty help them in the general election, wondered Robin Lustig. He asked Helen Coombs from IPSOS MORI.
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What of tax cuts? Mark Littlewood, of the economic think tank The Institute of Economic Affairs and former head of media for the Liberal Democrats, and Martin Ivens of The Sunday Times were the interviewees here. Mark is that rare thing, a free-market-loving Lib Dem, so he wasn't wholly without criticism of his party's proposals. Robin Lustig asked all from questions from the left-side of the argument.*
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Later in the programme, the BBC returned to one of its key election themes, as Robin said "Now here's a political question for you. What do the following prime ministers all have in common: William Gladstone, Lord Salisbury, Anthony Eden, Harold McMillan, Alex Douglas Hume? The answer is that they all went to Eton. And if the Conservatives win the election on May 6th David Cameron will become the 18th Old Etonian to join the prime ministerial ranks." Paul Moss then reported on the links between Eton and politics, complete with the strains of The Eton Boat Song and a Tatler writer called Ticky Hedley-Dent (perish the thought that she was invited to take part because of her posh name!). Blairite David Aaronovitch put the boot in.
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