Labour wonk-shop IPPR are progressive guns for hire. In 2010 they took over €800,000 from the European Commission and their coffers are filled by unions and lefty-charitable trusts. Universities UK, the higher education trade association, are believed to have bunged them in excess of £20,000. In return they got their figures in a nice report about how immigration caps are affecting student numbers. Despite the report claiming that all “views and conclusions expressed in it are those of the authors”, Guido has now got hold of an email that would suggest otherwise.

Tony Millns is the Chief Exec of  English UK – another education trade association who encourage people to come to the UK to learn English. The sort of vested interest group who would want see immigration caps given a kicking. Millns is clearly rather chuffed with what money can buy him:

IPPR claim that Universities UK supplied some research, but didn’t tell the public or the media that the report had actually been commissioned by English UK. Sadly for them the client has let the cat out of the bag…