[Scratch_Perry]

Johnson might have a journalistic career in her own right, but that was not substantively in the realms of politics and it is very noticeable how she only started getting booked to appear on such shows (with a very high frequency) after her brother became prime minister. To pretend those two facts aren't connected is wilful ignorance.

As for dodgy think tanks, I'm mainly referring to those that are incredibly publicly opaque about their funding, but whom it is well known within Westminster receive significant amounts of money on the behalf of certain industries to produce research that is in line with their preferences. Despite this, they are presented by broadcasters as dispassionate parties whose contribution to the debate is in the public interest, rather than being a front. The Institute for Economic Affairs, for instance, is heavily financially tied to the oil and tobacco industries and has coincidentally produced multiples reports critical of government attempts to tackle climate change or smoking. They are then invited to appear on panel debates as merely 'critical' voices on such matters, without the provenance of their funding being explained to viewers. I would regard that as a lapse in journalistic integrity as the broadcaster is effectively laundering the views of the oil or tobacco industry through a neutral sounding third party that would require advanced audience knowledge of to know was tied to said industry.

Mentioning think tanks - and related to this thread - whatever happened to Polly Mackenzie of Demos, given as she used to be a regular Sky News (as well as BBC when they used to do it) newspaper reviewer?