Complaint
The programme included an interview with John Glen MP, who was Chief Secretary to the Treasury at the time.听 A listener complained that Mr Glen, without challenge from the interviewer, 鈥repeated several times the fallacy/untruth/or plain lie, that public sector pay rises contribute to inflation, an opinion鈥hich has been widely discredited and disproved by many actual and eminent economists鈥. 听The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 大象传媒鈥檚 editorial standards of accuracy.
Outcome
While it can be argued that public sector pay increases have no direct impact on the rate of inflation, it is generally accepted that they may contribute indirectly to inflationary pressures.听听 As Mr Glen鈥檚 remarks made no claim as to a direct inflationary effect of public sector pay rises they could not be regarded as inaccurate in that respect and there was no occasion for the interviewer to challenge him on the point.
Not Upheld