Troll Polling

In the spirit of transparency, it would be useful to know who commissioned and paid for the poll quoted on the Today Programme, under guest editor Charles Moore.

This is how the Telegraph reports it: The new poll of 1,000 people by Public First, commissioned as part of Radio 4's Today on Saturday, which was guest edited by Charles Moore, indicates that support for abolishing the £154.50-a-year tax - 74 per cent over all - was higher among younger than older respondents. Seventy-eight per cent of those aged 18 to 24 favoured abolition, compared to 64 per cent of those aged over 65.

The co-directors of Public First are Rachel Wolf, who co-authored the 2019 Conservative Manifesto, and her partner, James Frayne. Rachel was part of the New Schools Network, beloved of Dominic Cummings under Education Secretary Michael Gove. NSN did 'wonderful work' according to Charles Moore. She has worked for Rupert Murdoch and frackers Cuadrilla. James Frayne worked at the Department for Education under Michael Gove. He's been Director of Policy and Strategy at the Policy Exchange (Charles Moore is a "Visiting Fellow"), and worked for the Taxpayer's Alliance.

Former Labour MP Natascha Engel, who appeared on the Today Programme, is a partner of Public First. She was the Government's first Commissioner for Shale Gas.

Public First is based in 11 Tufton Street.