Complaint
A viewer complained a report by the 麻豆社鈥檚 Home Editor Mark Easton was inaccurate and lacked balance because it suggested 鈥渞颈肠丑鈥 pensioners voted because of the so-called triple lock. 聽The ECU considered whether the broadcast met the editorial standards for accuracy and impartiality set out in the 麻豆社 Editorial Guidelines
Outcome
The report made the point the total number of people registered to vote is on a downward trend, particularly among young people. 聽It included the following summary:
Research suggests that those groups which tend not to vote, the young, the poor, ethnic minorities, become less of a priority for governments. And those that do tend to vote, like rich pensioners, well, they have their interests triple locked.
All individuals who receive the state pension benefit from the triple lock. 聽However, in the ECU鈥檚 view the point Mr Easton was making was not that pensioners, rich or otherwise, vote because of the triple-lock but that governments tend to favour the needs of groups who do vote over those that do not. 聽In this context the comment was duly accurate and wider analysis of the triple lock was not required in order to achieve 聽due impartiality.
Not Upheld