Every week Think Tank organisations such as The Tax Payers' Alliance, The Adam Smith Institute, The Centre for Policy Studies, The Policy Exchange and Civitas are granted national airtime on key BBC programmes to air their views on the current affairs of the day. These organisations do not simply just appear, they are paid for and funded by powerful individuals and organisations promoting their own financial and political interests. Often, as in the case of The Tax Payers' Alliance, they are happy to perpetuate an impression that they are grass roots organisations simply representing the tax-paying population of the UK. This is not the case.
Think Tanks - both on the left and right - should have the right to exist but in the name of transparency they should be obliged to state whose interests they exist to promote before being allowed airtime on the BBC. Only then can we the public make a judgement as to the veracity of their argument.