Complaint
An item which investigated claims by the Respect party included a contribution from a guest introduced as “the Director of British Future, a UK-based think tank which also addresses issues of migration and opportunity and…the former General Secretary of the Fabian Societyâ€.Ìý A listener complained that, as the item described the Henry Jackson Society as “r¾±²µ³ó³Ù-±ô±ð²¹²Ô¾±²Ô²µâ€ and “a right-wing think tankâ€, it was misleading not to make clear that the Fabian Society was left of centre. ÌýThe ECU considered the complaint in the light of the Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s editorial standards of accuracy.
Outcome
The guest was speaking primarily in his capacity as Director of British Future, which describes itself as an “independent, non-partisan think tank and registered charity, engaging people’s hopes and fears about integration and immigration, identity and raceâ€.Ìý In view of the non-partisan stance of his organisation, the ECU did not consider his previous involvement with an organisation affiliated with the Labour Party relevant to listeners’ assessment of his contribution, or that not describing the Fabian Society as left of centre was misleading in this context.
Not upheld