More ID problems in the business world of Grant Shapps
• The heartening thing about the BBC fiasco for the coalition is that it has drawn attention away from the focus there was on the government's leading figures. It has meant welcome respite for Grant Shapps, the Conservative co-chair – not to mention his alter ego, the businessman "Michael Green". Still, there is a BBC angle here, so that's something. Last month we referenced testimonial material placed on the website of the Printhouse Corporation, the company founded by Shapps, of which he remains a shareholder. After questions about his use of "Shapps" and "Green", we looked at a testimonial from the Labour party that turned out to be not quite from the Labour party and to be wrongly attributed – to someone who doesn't exist. So far, so unfortunate. But the sadness goes further. For on the same list is glowing praise for Printhouse from the BBC. "Great customer service; your team is tremendous and a pleasure to work with – thanks again," it says. "Elizabeth Eckles, BBC." Is that genuine? reporter Mike Deri Smith asked the Beeb. Certainly no one of that name works for us now, the Beeb said. It added: "We can confirm that we were not aware of this endorsement. It is against BBC guidelines to endorse a company in this way and we are in the process of contacting the company in question to ask for the endorsement to be removed." Printhouse tells us it was long ago and, if prevailed upon, it will take the endorsement down. Quite right. For everyone knows the BBC's rules, especially this week. "Individuals must not act in a manner likely to bring the BBC into disrepute or affect its reputation for impartiality."
• And yet, mistakes happen. Yesterday, appalled by the litany of errors at the BBC, Dominic Lawson gave the Beeb another good leathering. This was not about budget cuts, he wrote in the Independent, slapping down the notion forwarded by Jeremy Paxman. This was just about bad decisions. But then, as he honestly admits, he knows about those. As editor of the Sunday Telegraph in 1995, he ran a story indicating that a young man might have dabbled in currency fraud. Challenged, the paper was unable to prove it. Inquiries established that the source for the story was MI6. It was terrible at the time, but the courts sorted it out. And the young man accused, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, emerged without a stain on his reputation.
• Something is eating dear Dominic. One fears it's the same tick that bothers Melanie Phillips. The root problem with the Beeb, Lawson says, is its perennial dumbing down, its stooping to conquer. "Where did Top of the Pops fit in with public service broadcasting? For that matter, in what way does Radio 1 bear any relation to the Reithian ideals on which the BBC was founded." That would be Lord Reith, who sacked employees for getting divorced, humiliated his wife with a string of amorous relationships and, as rector of Glasgow University, "made an ass of himself" dancing with pretty girls, according to daughter Marista. Top of the Pops? He would have fitted right in.
• It's really kicking off between the Equality and Human Rights Commission and culture minister Maria Miller. After criticism of her cack-handed initiative to get rid of selected commissioners, she has managed to alienate even those who will remain. A lot of talk in the equalities field, with two issues driving discussions. One: did the decision to dispense with at least three longstanding, lauded commissioners, via a headhunter's automated email, accord with the rules governing appointments in public life? Two: the loose talk heard among others (not the minister) way back in September predicting that one of the discarded – commissioner Simon Woolley – would be a casualty. Was it all planned? The culture sec might want to have some answers before being grilled by fellow MPs.
• Finally, as Leveson prepares to cane the British press he might reflect that things are little better on the European mainland. The German paper Bild ran a massive headline over an attack on President Hollande: "Is France going to be Europe's new Greece?" Libération fired back with a front-page photo of Angela Merkel labelled "Achtung!" Send for le regulator. Vite!
Twitter: hugh_muir
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