Policy Exchange, ASH and YouGov
Friday, March 19, 2010 Last word (for now) on the Policy Exchange story (see previous posts). It was only a matter of time but I see that people are beginning to question the source of funding for PE's report.
At 06:25 this morning, for example, the following comment was posted on THIS ConservativeHome thread:
So if the 'research' wasn't financed by ASH, Mr Featherstone, who WAS it financed by? A pharmaceutical company looking to make millions out of free prescriptions for NRT products, perchance? Or a medical charity funded by them as a 'front'? Will you be transparent - or are you ashamed of your funding source. Answer, please.
It's a reasonable question. Forest is very open about the fact that most of our money comes from tobacco companies. (See our website HERE.) The same rule should apply to Policy Exchange.
I've no reason to believe that Henry Featherstone's Cough Up report was funded by pharmaceutical money (for example), but it would be nice to know if Policy Exchange receives ANY donations from Big Pharma (and how much).
Also, I was intrigued by Featherstone's comment, last night, in response to a question about whether the research was funded by ASH. "No it wasn’t. But we would have no problem taking their money."
THEIR money? What is the man talking about?! A sizeable chunk of ASH's money comes from the taxpayer - you and me!!! So, a leading centre right think tank is happy to accept taxpayers' money, is it? Has the world gone mad?
BTW, Featherstone's second post on ConservativeHome also gives the result of a poll of three thousand people, showing their net support for raising various taxes. "The most unpopular tax is council tax. But there is strong support for an increase in tobacco taxes, and they are bottom priority of all the possible tax cuts."
The poll, Featherstone tells us, was conducted by YouGov. Older readers of Taking Liberties may remember me writing about the strong links between ASH and Peter Kellner, president of, er, YouGov. You can read about HERE.
Simon Clark
08:20 ... There is no evidence (or suggestion) that the "Cough Up" report was paid for by Big Pharma, but Policy Exchange HAS received money from at least one pharmaceutical company.
In February PE published a report called "The Cost of Cancer". Written by Henry Featherstone (whatever happened to him?) and Lilly Whitham, it contains the following acknowledgement:
This report has been funded by Roche for the purpose of the non-partisan advancement of education of the public understanding of economic, social and political sciences and their effect on public policy. Editorial control has been wholly retained by Policy Exchange.
You can visit the Roche Pharmaceuticals Division website HERE.
Reader Comments (4)
Henry's observation that:
"there is strong support for an increase in tobacco taxes...................." could, of course, be amended to read:
"There is strong support for an increase in taxes that only OTHER PEOPLE have to pay."
Around the 75% mark, in fact.
You're onto a winner, Henry !
Any thoughts on a Beard Tax ?
As a Varenicline advert, it was great for Pfizer.
Just sayin'. ;-)
@Martin V - I only have a beard because my wife and I smoke at £5.22 a packet for "bargain-basement" fags (I can't stand rollies), and a packet of razor blades comes in at a day's smokes. Please don't give Darling any more bloody stupid ideas. Although a jogging tax to pay for all the shin splints, dodgy knees and heart attacks could be considered. Perhaps we should start an extremist hate campaign against joggers? Or any other people who enjoy sports and occasionally use the NHS to treat injuries. Maybe then we can sit around a table in 30 years time at the AJH AGM looking like a lot of bored misanthropes!
Jimi -
Apologies for my hasty words !
I'm sure that there are plenty of other Exciting Ideas that NuLabour and/or Dave's Dimwits could plunder from 18th Century Russia.
Just doing my bit, really..................
("No reason to get excited....")