Gavin Esler

Well done to Gavin Esler, who was presenting Newsnight the other night, for introducing an excellent piece by Michael Crick exposing the uncomfortably close relationship between Gordon Brown and the Smith Institute, a relationship oiled by Ed Balls, Labour MP for Normanton, Economic Secretary to The Treasury and highly-paid consultant at the Institute. The "independent" political think-tank admits to having held almost half of all its meetings over the past 9 years at No. 11 Downing Street - more meetings at Gordon's office than all other charitable groups put together. According to the programme, the Charity Commission is investigating whether charitable status should be withdrawn from the Smith Institute, named after former Labour Party leader and brewery owner John Smith QC MP.