The TODAY programme

A flurry of interesting activity this morning.
At 7.45, I received the first call, alerting me to the fact that on the TODAY Radio 4 programme, the Human Embryology & Fertilisation Authority was being challenged about a forthcoming consultation.
An hour later, another colleague rang, telling me to drop everything and tune into the same programme as Simon Jenkins was merrily launching into a familiar slagging off of consultation as just another facet of new labour "spin".

Now the TODAY programme is no stranger to stories about public consultation. Switch on the programme in the morning, set your watch and wait till the word consultation is uttered; it won't be long.
But I am rather fed up with the programme's (or its contributors') cynicism. Of course there are lousy consultations, but they are not all a fraud on those who participate, and just occasionally it would be nice to hear some positive vibes instead of unconstructive criticism.

Right now,there are thousands of civil servants, local government officers, police, NHS staff and others diligently working their way through comments which stakeholders have made in response to a request for their views. And they are not all liars and cheats!
And just in case it has escaped John Hymphrys' notice, the BBC itself consults rather widely............!