For the first time in living memory, Guido Fawkes has a good story.
It seems that the Institute for Public Policy Research - traditionally New Labour's favourite think tank - received substantial funding from Northern Rock.
There's no suggestion of impropriety, but it is interesting to know all the same.
3 comments:
Jonathan
This is not a good story, it's a bit of nasty little mud-slinging typical of the site you mention. Frankly, I would have expected better from you.
The donations to IPPR come from the Northern Rock Foundation and are generally for specific social policy research linked to the North of England. They appear to receive special attention because they have offices based in the North instead of just working from London. However they are by no means the only policy and research activity funded by the Foundation - which is of course at arms length from the company.
Five minutes invstigation of the Northern Rock Foundation web site would have enabled you to find the facts instead of helping to spread unwarranted slurs.
I would have expected better from you.
Whatever one's views of Northern Rock, they have consistently donated substantial sums into their Foundation which in turn invests hugely in social and community foundations in the North of England. I only wish there were similar levels of investment from other banks and building societies in Yorkshire to match this.
Nevertheless, I have been puzzled about who ultimately controls IPPR. They didn't answer my enquiry on the subject.
And Northern Rock is basically a Labour backing company anyway.
And IPPR is so closely linked with Labour...
If it was the CentreForum instead then their defenders would be throwing mud at the LibDems.
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