James O'Brien Presses Big Brother Watch Over Who Funds Them
1 February 2019, 14:48
As James O'Brien was talking about the controversial new facial scanning used by police, he received a call from the director of Big Brother Watch. Then he discovered they were based in 55 Tufton Street.
That's the same building as the Taxpayers' Alliance and other thinktanks which James has refused to speak to until they reveal their funding.
So when Silkie Carlo called in, he took the opportunity to try to find out.
He said to her: "Silkie, I've got a bit of a problem. I've just noticed you're based in 55 Tufton Street. Does that mean that your funding is secret?"
Ms Carlo insisted they were funded by members of the public, but insisted that privacy laws mean she cannot reveal who they are.
So James pressed on: "I respect that completely, but I know that all the other organisations at 55 Tufton Street don't disclose their funding while they seek to change public policy.
"I'm just seeing if you're in that category."
Things got even more tense when James googled Big Brother Watch and found out something intriguing: Big Brother Watch was founded by Matthew Elliott, the same person who founded the Taxpayers' Alliance.
When Ms Carlo admitted it was true, James insisted that meant he couldn't allow her on the show.
Watch the full clip at the top of the page.
