If you recall Peter Lilley's robust exchanges with Evan Davis on Monday, you'll doubtless remember that it arose as a 'right to reply' feature following a previous Evan Davis PM interview with 'impartial expert' Anand Menon.
You can listen to the original Evan-Anand interview here (beginning 35 minutes in). It was first broadcast on 20 November, exactly a week earlier.
That began with Evan Davis saying:
Now, the core of the argument over whether the Brexit deal is a good one - and we really want to help you come to a view on that - at the core of it is an argument over whether Britain needs to sign up to some kind of customs union with the EU.
And even before Evan began talking to Professor Menon, he gave Radio 4 listeners an editorial of his own, this time regarding Peter Lilley's Today confrontation with BBC Reality-Checker-in-Chief Chris Morris. He stuck up for Chris Morris against Lord Lilley. He said:
Chris Morris was faithfully arguing what most experts and exporting businesses think. He was entirely in line with the consensus of opinion. It was that Peter Lilley thought the consensus is wrong. Chris Morris was not a Remainer. He was simply arguing the facts as most people who have thought about it do see them.
So that was Peter Lilley told! (No wonder he wanted to have words with Evan afterwards).
Yes, Evan evidently really wanted to 'help us come to a view' on the Chris Morris/Lord Lilley encounter too, and did so simply by telling us exactly what to think about it!
As for Anand Menon, he was then introduced as "Professor of European Politics at King's College London" and as someone who "thinks very hard about these issues".
And after Prof. Menon had 'put Lord Lilley straight', Evan concluded the interview by again saying, "Anand Menon there hopefully clarifying it for you so you can hopefully make up your mind about the deal."
Evan Davis is clearly determined to use PM as his personal bully pulpit.
