The Electoral Commissioners

Did the BBC know?

Does Sam Younger have Labour connections?

Is it true that the Joseph Rowntree Foundation funds the Yes Campaign?

See below for the list of the Electoral Commission's Commissioners who made the decision to award designation to the newly formed Conservative construct, North East Says No...

Sam Younger as Chairman of the Electoral Commission
He has had a career spanning twenty years at the BBC, most recently as Managing Director of the BBC World Service from 1994 to 98. His father was a Labour MP and Minister in the Labour Government of 1945-51.

Sir Neil McIntosh CBE, Commissioner
He is the Convenor of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and was Chairman of the Commission on Local Government and the Scottish Parliament. He was formerly Chief Counting Officer for Scotland for the Scottish Parliament Referendum (September 1997). He joined the Strathclyde Region in 1992 as Chief Executive until it was disbanded in 1996; the Council was the largest local authority in the UK. Sir Neil was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Dumfriesshire in 1998 and received an Honorary Doctorate of Law from Glasgow Caledonian University in November 1999. He was awarded a Knighthood in June 2000.

Pamela Gordon, Commissioner
Pamela Gordon has spent 40yrs in local government service. She started work with the London County Council and then spent nearly twenty years with the Greater London Council. In 1985 she became Chief Executive and Town Clerk of the London Borough of Hackney, in 1989 she became Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council and in 1996 became the first woman President of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives. After retiring from full-time employment in 1997 she undertook a range of consultancy assignments, mainly for the National Lottery Charities Board. She is Chairwoman of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Advisory Group on Local Government from 1997 to 2001.

Glyn Mathias, Commissioner
Glynn Mathias has had a long career in journalism. He joined the South Wales Echo as a reporter in 1967, moved to BBC regional news in Southampton in 1970 and became a Correspondent with ITN in 1973. He worked for over twenty years with ITN, becoming Political Editor, Controller, Public affairs and Chief Political Correspondent. In 1994 he moved to BBC Wales as Political Editor until 1999, when he became Manager, Public Affairs for BBC Wales until 2000. He is a lecturer and writer.

Karamjit Singh CBE, Commissioner
Karamjit Singh is currently a Member of the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Previous appointments include membership of the Civil Service Commission, Judicial Studies Board, the Police Complaints Authority, the Parole Board and Employment Tribunals Panel. His career has also covered the Commission for Racial Equality and local government. He was Assistant County Clerk (Urban Policies) for Leicestershire County Council from 1984-87.

So there you have it, all have been government appointed at some stage, none of them have ever worked outside the public sector, two are from the BBC, one from the Commission for Racial Equality and one who was heavily involved in setting up the Scottish Parliament, you really couldn't make it up....and one was Chairwoman of an organisation that is funding the Yes Campaign.