Dear Robert, I’m writing to you following the Budget to correct the record on some statistics that were used before and throughout the election campaign. On the 17th May the Conservative Party presented a dossier entitled ‘Labour’s Tax Rises’ to the public. This was predominantly based on a collection of HM Treasury costings which were […]
Dear Mr O’Kane, Thank you for your letter expressing concern about statements made by both the current and previous Scottish First Minister that Scottish National Party (SNP) policies are “lifting” an estimated 100,000 children out of poverty. Under the principles of intelligent transparency, it is always advisable to think how an average person would interpret […]
Dear Mr Holden, Thank you for your letter of 6 June regarding the Labour Party’s analysis of Conservative Party commitments and its own plans. In my recent letter to political parties, I asked that parties and candidates use statistics appropriately and transparently during this general election campaign and made clear why these expectations are in […]
Dear Lord Bailey, Thank you for your letter to the National Statistician regarding the Mayor of London’s use of housing statistics in a LabourList article from March 2024. This was passed to the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), the regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority. The Mayor’s comments appear to draw from the Greater […]
Dear Ms Smyth, Thank you for your letter of 10 May regarding a statement made by the Secretary of State for Health, the Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP, who said “we’ve cut waiting lists for five months in a row”. This was made in a video posted by the Department of Health and Social Care […]
Dear Sir Robert, LABOUR PARTY ECONOMIC CLAIMS I am writing to express my serious concerns about the Labour Party’s misleading economic analysis following a series of incorrect claims about the Conservative Party’s commitments and Labour’s own plans. In relation to the Conservatives plans, Labour published a document on 29 May 2024 claiming that the Conservatives […]
Dear Ms Olney, Thank you for your letter regarding statements by the Chancellor about changes in the tax burden. Specifically, you expressed concern that: During his budget speech on 6 March, the Chancellor said “Today, in contrast, a Conservative Government brings down taxes”. On 7 March, during an interview with BBC Radio Scotland, the Chancellor […]
Dear Ms Phillips, Thank you for your letter of 24 April regarding the use of crime statistics by the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, and the Home Office. You asked us to investigate the following statements about changes in the level of crime since 2010: “Since 2010, violent crime is down 51%. Neighbourhood crime is […]
Dear Sir Robert Re: Scottish Government Child Poverty Statistics I am writing to seek the assistance of the UK Statistics Authority in establishing both the accuracy of statements made by the First Minister and former First Minister, and the methodology used by the Scottish Government, to claim that they have already, or they will lift […]
Dear Sir Robert, I am writing to you in my capacity as Shadow Health Minister, to query claims made by the Department of Health & Social Care with reference to NHS waiting list data. In a video published to the Department of Health & Social Care’s social media accounts on 20 April, the Secretary of […]