Talk:Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford

Wonder who wrote this?
This article looks like it's been placed here by the MO as an extension of their website. I expect it'll be getting some attention over the next few days as a result of the Daily Mail article. Bromley86 (talk) 23:29, 12 April 2013 (UTC)

Independence
In a Daily Mail article of 14/03/2013 Labour MP Frank Field was quoted saying that the Migration Observatory was setup "to peddle Left-wing views on immigration". . This is a two-year old quote and appeared for the first time in a Quentin Letts column on 02/09/2011 (just a few months after the launch of the Migration Observatory). . The Migration Observatory responded to the latest Daily Mail article by reaffirming their independence and categorizing the accusation as unfounded. 

The Migration Observatory research has also featured in stories of the Daily Mail that take a hard look at Labour's open door policy. 

The Quentin Letts article criticise the composition of the COMPAS advisory board, not the Migration Observatory advisory board. The Advisory Board of the Migration Observatory is available online. Econmig (talk) 17:12, 13 April 2013 (UTC)


 * I've replied to this in the threaded conversation in "Left wing" below. Bromley86 (talk) 19:33, 13 April 2013 (UTC)

Left wing
There may be some push back against my inclusion of "left wing" in the article given the Observatory's description of itself as independent.

Another DM article, this time looking at the composition of the COMPAS advisory board: ". . . its advisory board is strikingly party-political. It contains two Labour peers, a representative of the TUC and an appointee from the office of Ed Miliband.". Also, although not specifically a left-wing point, "There is, so far as I can make out, no one at Compas, or indeed the Migration Observatory, who could be described as an immigration sceptic."

Hard to track down the board members, as they seem to have taken down their Advisory Board page. Current/past members that I've found (there may be just as many Conservatives or Lib Dems, but the people below were not found by searching on party affiliation and I didn't find any members from other UK political parties):

Compas director: Michael Keith, previously Labour leader Tower Hamlets council.

Compas Advisory Board chair: Lord Parekh, Labour Party.

Compas Advisory board member: Roger Lawrence, Labour Party. Bromley86 (talk) 11:19, 13 April 2013 (UTC)


 * It is difficult to argue that the Migration Observatory research provides left-wing views according to this article.
 * This accusation was aim at the COMPAS advisory board, not the Migration Observatory. Also, this is an article by a Daily Mail columnist, not a regular Daily Mail news article.
 * Migration Observatory Advisory Board still online. Econmig (talk) 17:12, 13 April 2013 (UTC)


 * Yep, COMPAS!=The Observatory. However, there seems to be a large degree of cross-over. The Observatory team is entirely staffed with COMPAS people, with the exception of the chap that maintains the website! So it's not unreasonable to look at any institutional bias in COMPAS when considering the Observatory.  That cross-over includes the 3 members of the Management Board of the Observatory.  Of those, Michael Keith (the director of COMPAS, remember, so presumably the most senior) is solidly left (ex-leader of the Tower Hamlets council).  Even if the other two are politically neutral, that indicates a potential for institutional bias that would only be overcome if Bridget Anderson or Martin Ruhs were card-carry right-wingers (which they may be; no data at the moment).
 * A valid point about editorial control over the initial article. However, the current iteration was their lead article in today's newspaper, so that removes that issue.  Plus, the accusation is leveled by someone not on the paper's staff (MP Frank Field).
 * Regarding whether they do churn out stuff that is left-wing, I haven't read their reports myself. Something I'll look at when I get a chance, but again worth noting that presumably Frank Field believed that he had a point when he accused the Observatory (not COMPAS) of ‘trying to use the status of Oxford University to peddle Left-wing views on immigration’. Bromley86 (talk) 18:19, 13 April 2013 (UTC)

2003 COMPAS Advisory Board
Found this record of the Advisory Board from when Compas was first set up (EDIT - it's not letting me link to the source. Just copy "Bhikhu Parekh, House of Lords and London School of Economics" into Google and you'll see "Further Particulars July 2003.doc - JISCMail"). Anyone particularly right-leaning in this list?

Bhikhu Parekh, House of Lords and London School of Economics

Sandra Pratt, European Commission DG Justice and Home Affairs

Frank Lazcko, International Organization for Migration

Jeff Crisp, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Manolo Abella, International Labour Organization

Paul Collier, World Bank

Ceri Peach, University of Oxford

Alejandro Portes, Princeton University

Catherine Withol de Wenden, CNRS-CERI, Paris

Robin Cohen, University of Cape Town

Elsbeth Guild, University of Nijmegen / Kingsley Napley

Diana Holland, Transport and General Workers Union

Nick Hardwick, Refugee Council

Emma Duncan, The Economist

Mark Hatcher, Price Waterhouse Coopers Bromley86 (talk) 11:30, 13 April 2013 (UTC)


 * It may depend on the defintion of 'right-leaning'. But certainly it would be difficult to accuse someone from PwC or from The Economist to be left-wing socialists. Possible to argue that they see migration favourably, but not that they are left-leaning. Econmig (talk) 17:12, 13 April 2013 (UTC)


 * Probably better if we continue this under the more recent 2010 version below. Bromley86 (talk) 20:23, 13 April 2013 (UTC)

2010 COMPAS Advisory Board
Cached board from 2010, shows the 2nd Labour lord referred to in that DM article:

Bhikhu Parekh (Chair), House of Lords and London School of Economics

Ash Amin, Institute of Advanced Study

Benjamin Barber, Civworld @ Demos

Jeff Crisp, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Pam Farmer, BT Group Plc

Don Flynn, Migrants Rights Network

Frank Laczko, International Organization for Migration

Roger Lawrence, Labour Leaders Office

Ken Mayhew, ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE), University of Oxford

Linda McDowell, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford

Rainer Muenz, Erste Bank

Ceri Peach, Oxford Centre for the Environment, University of Oxford

Alejandro Portes, Centre for Migration and Development, Princeton University

Sandra Pratt, Previously European Commission DG Justice and Home Affairs

Tom Sawyer, House of Lords

Owen Tudor, Trades Union Congress

Catherine Wihtol de Wenden, CNRS-CERI, Paris


 * Added red for the 4 "party political" people that I believe Quentin Letts of the Daily Mail was referring to. Bromley86 (talk) 17:10, 13 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Worth noting that he may have assumed "Labour Leaders Office" relates to Ed Miliband, whereas it probably relates to Wolverhampton Council. Also possibly worth noting that Lord Sawyer has a union background. Key point is that Letts appears to be substantially correct in alleging a party political bias in the composition of the COMPAS Advisory Board. Bromley86 (talk) 11:54, 14 April 2013 (UTC)


 * Orange for those who might be said to view immigration favourably (remember, we're talking about possible institutional bias here). Migrants Rights Network can be fairly said to be in favour of loose immigration controls. IOM looks to be pro-migration, likewise (by definition) UNHCR.  So far, seems to confirm what Letts said, at least as far a COMPAS goes: "There is, so far as I can make out, no one at Compas, or indeed the Migration Observatory, who could be described as an immigration sceptic."  Bromley86 (talk) 21:40, 13 April 2013 (UTC)