James Meadway in the New Statesman warns the left…
“Britain’s economic woes have not been caused by its messiahs, but by its managers. The problem isn’t the Institute of Economic Affairs. It’s the Institute for Fiscal Studies.”
The BBC has been quick to publish a favourable write-up of a recent think tank report from the Progressive Economy Forum. The report was presented as a neutral analysis, with the authors presented simply as a “group of economists”. A little digging shows they are not simply economists, they’re also ardent lefties…
Their observations, quoted by the BBC without challenge, include “a consensus among economists” that austerity is damaging, “as the experience of the last decade in Britain has shown” – and that government policy is based on “very shaky foundations”. It doesn’t take a genius to work out which side of the tax-spend debate they sit on…
The Progressive Economy Forum website shows their council members, including the likes of Faiza Shaheen, James Meadway and Danny Dorling, who wouldn’t be out of place at a Momentum rally. As for the authors quoted directly in the article, Rob Calvert Jump publicly endorsed Corbyn’s 2017 election manifesto, whilst Jo Churchill has a history of pro-Corbyn tweets.
As co-conspirators know, Guido welcomes the BBC providing a platform for all viewpoints. However, presenting activists as objective, impartial authorities is hardly in keeping with the BBC charter. The Corporation would never treat the IEA like that.
UPDATE: The BBC has updated the article to reflect the political persuasions of the report and has also included a right-of-centre perspective. The new version also has the welcome addition of the phrase “experts disputed the findings”. For posterity, co-conspirators can view the old version here. That wasn’t so hard, was it?
Guido can reveal a few changes to the Corbynista backroom operation. We remember when David Lammy’s Director of Communications Jack McKenna was a moderate, but he is now heading to the Leader’s Office to join their spin team. McKenna was employee of the month recently when he dug out this killer Theresa May Question Time clip. David Prescott is becoming Jezza’s press and events manager. Angie Williams is leaving her job as a press officer in LOTO. Rumours are swirling today that Corbyn’s commie aide Andrew Murray has fallen out with Seumas Milne and Karie Murphy. Unite are denying that Murray is set to quit…
Meanwhile, John McDonnell is seeking a new spokesman after some trouble at Mills. His current spinner, the universally popular Lobby favourite James Mills, is now focusing on comms for rest of the Shadow Treasury team. There is speculation that McDonnell’s policy chief James Meadway is also being sidelined. One to watch…
Speculation is swirling in Labour circles that Corbyn is about to appoint New Economics Foundation chief and hardcore ex-Socialist Workers Party member James Meadway as his new economics adviser. This won’t be the last time you hear his name if it becomes official…
Just like Andrew Fisher, Meadway has openly backed non-Labour candidates in a number of elections, writing for the SWP splinter group Counterfire after George Galloway defeated Labour in Bradford West:
“All those who oppose austerity and war should be walking a little taller this morning… The gap between Britain’s corrupt and squalid political class, and those they claim to represent – already large – yawns wider as a result.”
He endorsed Tower Hamlets First (then independent) candidate Rubina Khan, who fought against Labour:
Meadway is an apologist for the disgraced wrong ‘un Lutfur Rahman. The full list of tweets on this is quite something:
And rejoiced when Dougie Alexander lost his seat:
He backed Caroline Lucas over the Labour candidate:
He also says Jim Murphy is “so, so far right”:
And of course supports boycotting Israel:
The fact Meadway was deleting his tweets late last night suggests there may be something in the rumours. Perhaps he too will say it was all a big joke? Lucky Guido has screengrabs.
Given Corbyn has just been embroiled in an almighty mess over Andrew Fisher backing rival candidates – something that is against Labour’s membership rules and he has had to apologise for – surely he will not appoint another adviser who has opposed Labour as recently as this year? Can’t he find any actual Labour supporters who are willing to work for him?
