Accountability

The negotiations that delivered Jeremy Corbyn as the Alternative MacTaggart lecturer to the Edinburgh TV Festival must have been as complex as those bringing Stormy Daniels to C5's Celebrity Big Brother.

Was it perhaps Festival Chair Phil Edgar-Jones, of Sky Arts, who insisted on Corbyn-supporting-actress Maxine Peake as interviewer ?

Mr Corbyn has already outlined the structure of his talk: “A strong, diverse and independent media is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy and society. I hope to offer some perspectives on the U.K. media and its role today, discuss how good journalism challenges the powerful and what is holding it back in the digital age of tech giants and unaccountable billionaires.” (The clue to his thinking may be in 'unaccountable').

Jezzer follows political thought-leaders such as Russell Brand and Al Gore at the podium. This year it's been slotted in at an eye-rubbing 0930am on the second day, presumably displacing ITV boss Kevin Lygo from his current position in the programme. Who will write the speech ?  Seumas Milne, son of former BBC DG Alasdair ?  Or David Prescott, son of former Labour deputy leader, John ?