This morning in Portcullis House researchers from the University of Southampton are presenting findings from a project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council on the rise of anti-politics, Tristram Hunt and Isabel Hardman are going to stick their tuppence in during an audience discussion. The conclusion is that those of us who want to see our lives de-politicised, and the politics-free space in our culture and society increased, are winning…

Since 1945 and the expansion of the welfare state, the popular general dissatisfaction with government has risen 50%. Bigger government increases dissatisfaction…

Politicians are seen as more out for themselves than they were in the past. Whereas during the Second World War over a third of MPs were seen as doing the best for their country, now only 1 in ten are seen as doing so, and nearly half are seen as merely out for themselves.

The academics see the rise of anti-politics as a problem. The inherent premise being that more politics will be good for us. Therefore the low popular opinion of politicians makes political action more difficult. Guido thinks this is a good thing, that the low esteem in which politicians are held is reasonable, people have made a more realistic appraisal of the nature of those who seek to rule over us. Politicians complain that they feel beset by the media and hostile voters because 72% of people see them as self-serving. Good. People should not be afraid of politicians, politicians should be afraid of the people…

The union funded CLASS think tank Owen Jones helped found has been fined £1,000 by the Electoral Commission. Unite veteran Steve Hart was stung with the bill after the Centre for Labour and Social Studies failed to deliver not one but two donation reports on time. “Any penalties that are imposed by the Commission go into the Consolidated Fund. This is managed by HM Treasury.” OJ’s band of deficit deniers are forced to help pay it off…

Tonight’s debate at the Institute of Economic Affairs (above) is an example of the civil war on the right – two IEA wonks Ryan Bourne and Diego Zuluaga are on opposite sides of the argument, Douglas Carswell and former Tory MEP John Stevens are bolstering the wonks. Such is the demand that they have already had to turn 200 ticket applicants away…

UPDATE: You can rewind the live stream to watch the debate.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has today released a pro-European briefing outlining the minor renegotiations on Britain’s EU membership that it thinks would warrant staying in the EU. Titled “Unlocking the EU Free Movement Debate”, the document suggests small reforms in EU policy in five key areas are more than enough to stave off Brexit. Reform in our time indeed…

The IPPR however have omitted one tiny detail from their report: they are heavily funded by Europe. As Guido has previously reported, not only did they receive an €800,000 bung from EU in 2012, but their most recent accounts declare they received between £60,001 and £80,000 from the European Commission during 2014. So much for the “independent policy research” their mission statement boasts about. 

On top of this, its former associate director is none other than Will Straw, an ardent Europhile who left the IPPR recently. To work as the Executive Director of Britain Stronger in Europe. 

Given all this, Guido decided to give the report’s author a bell this afternoon to see if he could clarify the issue:

Guido: As far as I can see it doesn’t say anywhere in the report that the IPPR is funded by Europe.

Marley Morris: Yes, that’s correct, we’re not.

Guido: So you’re not funded by Europe?

Marley: Correct, we don’t receive any funding from Europe. Some people say we do, but we don’t.

Guido: But on your website it says you received between £60,001 and £80,000 from the European Commission during 2014.

Marley: Uhhh… Uhh… Oh yes… Uhh I think there was another project funded by… uhh… Europe that someone was… uhh… working on.

And people said “Marley and Me” wasn’t funny…

Clare Foges, “the woman who put words in David Cameron’s mouth” when she was his speechwriter, reckons if we all spoke like the Prime Minister the problem of declining social mobility would be solved. Like a modern day Professor Henry Higgins she thinks a veneer of gentility will do more for social mobility than tax credits. At first Guido was amused with Clare’s article in The Times, however on reflection, by George, I think she’s got it.  If only the common people could be more like the PM…

So if the government is serious about social mobility, it is time to revive the tweedy old concept of elocution. Schools should teach children how to speak as well as how to think. Lessons on pronunciation and projection should come as standard.

One school in Basildon has led the way. At Cherry Tree Primary the children learn to pronounce “thought” instead of “fought”, “both” instead of “bofe”. Ambitious parents have long sent their children to elocution lessons to help them get on.

Why shouldn’t we extend those same opportunities to all children? Having polled a smattering of the chattering classes there is clearly profound squeamishness about elocution lessons. One likened them to “verbal social cleansing”. Others saw it as a capitulation to prejudice: the world needs to change its view, not the children their voices. All very right on but it won’t break this invisible sound barrier.

Guido, as someone who has glottal issues, suspects she’s on to something…

The Chancellor has been caught joking about bringing down the PM.

Steady on Gideon…