BBC: TaxPayers' Alliance isn't an 'impartial body'

Thought I'd share a very revealing response from BBC News about the reporting of the TaxPayers' Alliance.

Following the Guardian's investigations into their funding, I wrote to Helen Boaden, the BBC's Director of News asking her journalists to make it clear the TaxPayers' Alliance, because of its many Tory links, shouldn't be described as impartial.

You can read my letter to her here.

Well her reply shows we've had some real success.

She writes:

"..whilst it is clear to me that the TPA is a conservative (small "c") organisation I do not think it would be accurate or fair to describe it on air, as you suggest, as "a group with close links to the Conservative Party.''

"I do accept that the TPA's publicatons and policies come from a distinctive political position and think we should try to avoid our output giving the impression that it is an impartial body.

"I'll be discussing with senior colleagues how we might do that in the same way that we discuss all the wider editorial issues that I have to deal with as Director of News."

The Charity Commission investigation, which I also successfully called for, after revelations the taxpayer subsidised the TPA, also won't help its reputation as a credible and impartial campaign group.

At least with Go Fourth we do what we say on the tin - we're campaigning for a Labour Fourth Term.

Perhaps the TPA should just come out and declare what we all know.

They're a Tory front. Nothing more, nothing less.

2pm: Update

Had a few media requests to see the letter. Mark Wallace, the campaigns director of the TPA also seems quite keen to see it too.

As I tweeted to him, I'm more than happy to share the letter and spare the taxpayer the cost of his FOI request.

Happy spinning Mark and Merry Taxmas!