Radio 4 Magnificently Sporks the Beecroft Report

[Zaune]

Radio 4 Website

For those not aware of it, Number Ten has commissioned a wealthy venture capitalist called Adrian Beecroft -one of the major investors in Wonga.com- to write a report suggesting ways to cut unemployment. The gist of his plan consists of turning us into an "at-will state" by scrapping the right to sue for unfair dismissal or indeed the need for employers to have an actual reason to sack their staff at all.

But unfortunately for Mr Cameron, the BBC actually have a regular radio programme called More or Less that's devoted to actually looking up the statistical evidence quoted by government officials in the headlines and explaining what they actually mean. They were going to analyse the Beecroft Report's attached data in the same way, but... Well, just listen for yourselves.

I need to go buy a TV license. Even though I don't actually own a television set.

[Rogue 9]

At will employment is the law in several U.S. states, my own included. Among other things, it makes for a convenient way to get around laws against union-busting, since rather than saying you fired someone for union activity (which is illegal) you simply don't give a reason.

Edit: Also, "executive summary." The report was seriously fifteen pages with no citations?

[evilsoup]

Oh man, Zaune you missed out the best part: Beecroft is a major donor to the tory party. And so they got him to write a report. Dohohohoho.

[fordlltwm]

Makes a change, donate enough to Labour and you get Honours. At least this chap had to write a report about what he wanted.

[Zaune]

Oh man, Zaune you missed out the best part: Beecroft is a major donor to the tory party. And so they got him to write a report. Dohohohoho.

Almost goes without saying, though, doesn't it? And I think I'm with the presenter of More or Less: Fifteen sides of A4 and not a single substantiated fact? That's not a report; that's not even an essay! It's an ideological screed.