PM admits misuse of immigration statistics.

[HectortheInspector]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8597530.stm

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has acknowledged that he "misused" immigration figures, after being criticised by the statistics watchdog.

In a podcast on Friday, Mr Brown said net migration into the UK fell from 237,000 in 2007 to 163,000 in 2008 and provisionally 147,000 in 2009.

But the head of UK Statistics Authority agreed with a Tory complaint that he had made inaccurate comparisons.

Downing Street said it accepted the statistics had been "unclear".

But it insisted that Mr Brown had since corrected them.

The rebuke came hours after the prime minister talked up government progress on immigration.

In a speech in London, Mr Brown said there had been a significant drop in asylum claims and net immigration thanks to Labour's "tough and hard-headed" policy and warned would-be illegal migrants they were not "welcome" in the UK.

'Care needed'

In the podcast, Mr Brown cited the figures to argue that a new points system introduced in 2008 - determining which skilled workers from outside the EU can enter the country - had "radically changed the way we are dealing with immigration".

The Conservatives said the PM had used two different sets of statistics to make his case and left out important caveats about the figures.

They said he had failed to point out that the net immigration figure for 2009 only covered the year up to June, while asylum seekers and people overstaying their original visas were included in the figures for 2007 and 2008 but excluded for 2009.

Sir Michael Scholar, the head of independent UK Statistics Authority, said he had written to Mr Brown to point out that the figures he cited for net immigration between 2007 and 2009 were "not comparable".

In addition, he said the prime minister's comments had not taken into account the fact that the figure for 2007 had been revised.

However, Sir Michael noted that the figures used by Mr Brown in Wednesday's speech were correct.

He added: "The Statistics Authority hopes that in the political debate over the coming weeks all parties will be careful in their use of statistics, to protect the integrity of official statistics."

Responsibility

In response to Sir Michael's letter, a Downing Street spokesman said: "We accept that some of the statistics used in the prime minister's podcast were not strictly comparable and as a result were unclear.



"The figures he used in his speech are consistent with the analysis set out in the accompanying note from Sir Michael Scholar."

Immigration Minister Phil Woolas urged people not to "dance on a pin head" when it came to the battle over statistics.

"The fact is the figures are down," he told Channel 4 News. "That is what is important."

But shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said the prime minister had given an "inaccurate picture of his record on immigration".

"Britain should expect better from its prime minister," he said. "No wonder we need change."

BBC home affairs editor Mark Easton said that despite the watchdog's desire not to get involved in political controversy, it had found itself in the middle of a pre-election spat.

The Statistics Authority was set up by Mr Brown last year to ensure the correct use of official data.

It has ticked off both Labour and the Conservatives in recent months about their use of statistics, saying they had a responsibility to ensure their claims were not misleading."

Lies, damn lies and statistics

 

[tropper66]

Once lying cnut,always a lying cnut

 

[Biped]

Once lying cnut,always a lying cnut

I think that you will find his strict presbyterian upbringing stops him being a liar as it goes against everything he believes in. He told me so.

 

[No_Duff]

Gordon Brown.... out and out liar. I'd like to poke his good eye out.

 

[maxi_77]

It's strange that when the Government misuse information it is quite acceptable but should the opposition do it they are dishonest.

One rule for Labour and the rest of us are in the Sh1t.

 

[johnboyzzz]

Lies, damned lies, and statistics.

IF the Tories get in they will do the exact same


After all they are all lying politicians

 

[pimpernel]

Gosh another Porky! Bit like the Iraq enquiry on defence spending, is this man incapable of telling the truth or is this the Mirror school of Journalism (I bet Piers Morgan is in there somewhere). Tell a lie and issue an apology on page 10 under the WI flower produce prize list.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Whenever he says something, just believe the opposite to be true.

It would be more of a story if the lying one eyed cnut actually told the truth for once, in fact hows that for a task... finding out an instance in which Brown didn't lie?

 

[bobthedog]

He only lies when his lips move!

After 13 years of spinning out figures like a calculator on speed, he has been caught out by his own creation the UK Statistics Authority........

Lying Cnut, unfortunately he has passed this trait on to his ministers too, Jackie Smith, Peter Hain, Baroness Scotland and a few others.

 

[Steven]

Whenever he says something, just believe the opposite to be true.

It would be more of a story if the lying one eyed cnut actually told the truth for once, in fact hows that for a task... finding out an instance in which Brown didn't lie?

Didn't he once say "Fcuk you lot, I am going to hang on to this job for as long as I can and make as much money as possible before they get wise to me"?

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Whenever he says something, just believe the opposite to be true.

It would be more of a story if the lying one eyed cnut actually told the truth for once, in fact hows that for a task... finding out an instance in which Brown didn't lie?

Didn't he once say "Fcuk you lot, I am going to hang on to this job for as long as I can and make as much money as possible before they get wise to me"?

Most of us were already wise to the psychotic idiot, alas coming from Scotland he fitted in well with the locals and was thus elected to parliament

 

[johnboyzzz]

Whenever he says something, just believe the opposite to be true.

It would be more of a story if the lying one eyed cnut actually told the truth for once, in fact hows that for a task... finding out an instance in which Brown didn't lie?

Didn't he once say "Fcuk you lot, I am going to hang on to this job for as long as I can and make as much money as possible before they get wise to me"?

Most of us were already wise to the psychotic idiot, alas coming from Scotland he fitted in well with the locals and was thus elected to parliament

And of course there are no psychotic idiots that fit in with the locals who are elected in England or Wales or Norn Iron

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Whenever he says something, just believe the opposite to be true.

It would be more of a story if the lying one eyed cnut actually told the truth for once, in fact hows that for a task... finding out an instance in which Brown didn't lie?

Didn't he once say "Fcuk you lot, I am going to hang on to this job for as long as I can and make as much money as possible before they get wise to me"?

Most of us were already wise to the psychotic idiot, alas coming from Scotland he fitted in well with the locals and was thus elected to parliament

And of course there are no psychotic idiots that fit in with the locals who are elected in England or Wales or Norn Iron

You're perfectly correct... George Galloway to name one!! He certainly fits in with the idiots that voted for him.

 

[johnboyzzz]

Whenever he says something, just believe the opposite to be true.

It would be more of a story if the lying one eyed cnut actually told the truth for once, in fact hows that for a task... finding out an instance in which Brown didn't lie?

Didn't he once say "Fcuk you lot, I am going to hang on to this job for as long as I can and make as much money as possible before they get wise to me"?

Most of us were already wise to the psychotic idiot, alas coming from Scotland he fitted in well with the locals and was thus elected to parliament

And of course there are no psychotic idiots that fit in with the locals who are elected in England or Wales or Norn Iron

You're perfectly correct... George Galloway to name one!! He certainly fits in with the idiots that voted for him.

Correct and you are forgetting Blair, Prescott, Harman, Miliband, Straw, Balls, or going further back Thatcher, Heseltine, Howard and Tebbit, common denominator - English voters

 

[hadenough!]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8597530.stm

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has acknowledged that he "misused" immigration figures, after being criticised by the statistics watchdog.

In a podcast on Friday, Mr Brown said net migration into the UK fell from 237,000 in 2007 to 163,000 in 2008 and provisionally 147,000 in 2009.

But the head of UK Statistics Authority agreed with a Tory complaint that he had made inaccurate comparisons.

Downing Street said it accepted the statistics had been "unclear".

But it insisted that Mr Brown had since corrected them.

The rebuke came hours after the prime minister talked up government progress on immigration.

In a speech in London, Mr Brown said there had been a significant drop in asylum claims and net immigration thanks to Labour's "tough and hard-headed" policy and warned would-be illegal migrants they were not "welcome" in the UK.

'Care needed'

In the podcast, Mr Brown cited the figures to argue that a new points system introduced in 2008 - determining which skilled workers from outside the EU can enter the country - had "radically changed the way we are dealing with immigration".

The Conservatives said the PM had used two different sets of statistics to make his case and left out important caveats about the figures.

They said he had failed to point out that the net immigration figure for 2009 only covered the year up to June, while asylum seekers and people overstaying their original visas were included in the figures for 2007 and 2008 but excluded for 2009.

Sir Michael Scholar, the head of independent UK Statistics Authority, said he had written to Mr Brown to point out that the figures he cited for net immigration between 2007 and 2009 were "not comparable".

In addition, he said the prime minister's comments had not taken into account the fact that the figure for 2007 had been revised.

However, Sir Michael noted that the figures used by Mr Brown in Wednesday's speech were correct.

He added: "The Statistics Authority hopes that in the political debate over the coming weeks all parties will be careful in their use of statistics, to protect the integrity of official statistics."

Responsibility

In response to Sir Michael's letter, a Downing Street spokesman said: "We accept that some of the statistics used in the prime minister's podcast were not strictly comparable and as a result were unclear.



"The figures he used in his speech are consistent with the analysis set out in the accompanying note from Sir Michael Scholar."

Immigration Minister Phil Woolas urged people not to "dance on a pin head" when it came to the battle over statistics.

"The fact is the figures are down," he told Channel 4 News. "That is what is important."

But shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said the prime minister had given an "inaccurate picture of his record on immigration".

"Britain should expect better from its prime minister," he said. "No wonder we need change."

BBC home affairs editor Mark Easton said that despite the watchdog's desire not to get involved in political controversy, it had found itself in the middle of a pre-election spat.

The Statistics Authority was set up by Mr Brown last year to ensure the correct use of official data.

It has ticked off both Labour and the Conservatives in recent months about their use of statistics, saying they had a responsibility to ensure their claims were not misleading."

Lies, damn lies and statistics

So Brown lied. What's the story here then?

 

[Ancient_Mariner]

In a speech in London, Mr Brown said there had been a significant drop in asylum claims

There's been a significant drop in asylum claims because the government now issues a work visa to anybody who might claim asylum to gain entry. This wheeze was exposed over a year ago and the minister concerned had to resign.

and net immigration

The key word there is 'Net'. Net immigration is reduced because skilled, British citizens are fleeing the UK at the highest rate since records began - higher even than the 'brain drain' of the 1970s.

Nonetheless, we still have a city the size of Bristol migrating into the UK every year.

thanks to Labour's "tough and hard-headed" policy and warned would-be illegal migrants they were not "welcome" in the UK.

If they're not welcome, why does the government provide welfare benefits specifically for illegals. It's called Section 4 benefit and you can only get it if you are in the UK illegally.

Lemme give you another example of our tough immigration policies. Indian IT companies set up a 'UK Subsidiary'. The UK subsidiary tenders for work using Indian staff. The Indian staff pay neither tax nor national insurance in the UK so they can undercut any British company. They are granted an 'intra company transfer' visa to enter the UK on demand. I know dozens of British engineers who have been made redundant to be replaced by tax free Indians. In many UK IT companies, you'd now struggle to spot a white face.

"tough and hard-headed". Don't make me laugh.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

In a speech in London, Mr Brown said there had been a significant drop in asylum claims

There's been a significant drop in asylum claims because the government now issues a work visa to anybody who might claim asylum to gain entry. This wheeze was exposed over a year ago and the minister concerned had to resign.

and net immigration

The key word there is 'Net'. Net immigration is reduced because skilled, British citizens are fleeing the UK at the highest rate since records began - higher even than the 'brain drain' of the 1970s.

Nonetheless, we still have a city the size of Bristol migrating into the UK every year.

thanks to Labour's "tough and hard-headed" policy and warned would-be illegal migrants they were not "welcome" in the UK.

If they're not welcome, why does the government provide welfare benefits specifically for illegals. It's called Section 4 benefit and you can only get it if you are in the UK illegally.

Lemme give you another example of our tough immigration policies. Indian IT companies set up a 'UK Subsidiary'. The UK subsidiary tenders for work using Indian staff. The Indian staff pay neither tax nor national insurance in the UK so they can undercut any British company. They are granted an 'intra company transfer' visa to enter the UK on demand. I know dozens of British engineers who have been made redundant to be replaced by tax free Indians. In many UK IT companies, you'd now struggle to spot a white face.

"tough and hard-headed". Don't make me laugh.

And several Labour, Tory and Lib Dem MP's have been receiving money from this company, a fact that C4 Despatches omitted when it did its expose on the lobbying scandal.

According to Ms Moran, EURIM’s clients “are paying members who want to influence the agenda. We produce some reports, but mostly it’s lobbying Ministers,” Ms Moran said.

The EURIM website states prominently that EURIM “does not undertake lobbying activities, nor does it make a case on behalf of individual companies.”

Ms Moran’s on-camera admissions prove this to be an outright lie.

“The last one I think was on the immigration rules…because a lot of IT companies had used short-term workers from India,” Ms Moran told the undercover reporter.

“The immigration points system was going to throw that. I actually went and saw Tata who are the big Indian IT company…so we got that points system changed. So they still are able to bring workers in for big projects,” Ms Moran said on tape.

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) is on record as saying that the importation of IT workers from India was the direct cause of “tens of thousands of British IT workers” being made jobless.

According to APSCo, most of those coming to the UK on the visas are IT workers, with more than 70 percent from India. They also reported that experienced British IT staff claim they are now finding it “virtually impossible to find work” because of the flood of overseas contractors, who also work for cheaper rates.

Ms Moran also claimed that she used her influence to delay the introduction of a “terrorist-detector” passport system to help Thomson Travel (TUI) — and that company then paid for her air tickets and travel for a holiday in Spain.

“I’m on the Home Affairs Select Committee — I went off and sort of slightly, gently, well I didn’t have to harass Keith Vaz, I was just, he owes me one…so he did a fairly quick report, but we interrogated all the people that needed to be interrogated and it proved what Thomson TUI were saying…so they’re changing the system now so they are giving more lead-in time and they’re changing some of the technologies,” she said.

EURIM currently lists nine politicians as directors, including deputy chairman, Tory MP Ian Taylor, and four peers and an MEP.


And people will still vote for the lying, corrupt B*stards.

 

[Le_addeur_noir]

In a speech in London, Mr Brown said there had been a significant drop in asylum claims

There's been a significant drop in asylum claims because the government now issues a work visa to anybody who might claim asylum to gain entry. This wheeze was exposed over a year ago and the minister concerned had to resign.

and net immigration

The key word there is 'Net'. Net immigration is reduced because skilled, British citizens are fleeing the UK at the highest rate since records began - higher even than the 'brain drain' of the 1970s.

Nonetheless, we still have a city the size of Bristol migrating into the UK every year.

thanks to Labour's "tough and hard-headed" policy and warned would-be illegal migrants they were not "welcome" in the UK.

If they're not welcome, why does the government provide welfare benefits specifically for illegals. It's called Section 4 benefit and you can only get it if you are in the UK illegally.

Lemme give you another example of our tough immigration policies. Indian IT companies set up a 'UK Subsidiary'. The UK subsidiary tenders for work using Indian staff. The Indian staff pay neither tax nor national insurance in the UK so they can undercut any British company. They are granted an 'intra company transfer' visa to enter the UK on demand. I know dozens of British engineers who have been made redundant to be replaced by tax free Indians. In many UK IT companies, you'd now struggle to spot a white face.

"tough and hard-headed". Don't make me laugh.

And several Labour, Tory and Lib Dem MP's have been receiving money from this company, a fact that C4 Despatches omitted when it did its expose on the lobbying scandal.

According to Ms Moran, EURIM’s clients “are paying members who want to influence the agenda. We produce some reports, but mostly it’s lobbying Ministers,” Ms Moran said.

The EURIM website states prominently that EURIM “does not undertake lobbying activities, nor does it make a case on behalf of individual companies.”

Ms Moran’s on-camera admissions prove this to be an outright lie.

“The last one I think was on the immigration rules…because a lot of IT companies had used short-term workers from India,” Ms Moran told the undercover reporter.

“The immigration points system was going to throw that. I actually went and saw Tata who are the big Indian IT company…so we got that points system changed. So they still are able to bring workers in for big projects,” Ms Moran said on tape.

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) is on record as saying that the importation of IT workers from India was the direct cause of “tens of thousands of British IT workers” being made jobless.

According to APSCo, most of those coming to the UK on the visas are IT workers, with more than 70 percent from India. They also reported that experienced British IT staff claim they are now finding it “virtually impossible to find work” because of the flood of overseas contractors, who also work for cheaper rates.

Ms Moran also claimed that she used her influence to delay the introduction of a “terrorist-detector” passport system to help Thomson Travel (TUI) — and that company then paid for her air tickets and travel for a holiday in Spain.

“I’m on the Home Affairs Select Committee — I went off and sort of slightly, gently, well I didn’t have to harass Keith Vaz, I was just, he owes me one…so he did a fairly quick report, but we interrogated all the people that needed to be interrogated and it proved what Thomson TUI were saying…so they’re changing the system now so they are giving more lead-in time and they’re changing some of the technologies,” she said.

EURIM currently lists nine politicians as directors, including deputy chairman, Tory MP Ian Taylor, and four peers and an MEP.


And people will still vote for the lying, corrupt B*stards.

This (if true) exposes a lot more corruption involving the politicians who rule Britain.It seems that Ms Moran is a right sleazebag.

 

[hadenough!]

In a speech in London, Mr Brown said there had been a significant drop in asylum claims

There's been a significant drop in asylum claims because the government now issues a work visa to anybody who might claim asylum to gain entry. This wheeze was exposed over a year ago and the minister concerned had to resign.

and net immigration

The key word there is 'Net'. Net immigration is reduced because skilled, British citizens are fleeing the UK at the highest rate since records began - higher even than the 'brain drain' of the 1970s.

Nonetheless, we still have a city the size of Bristol migrating into the UK every year.

thanks to Labour's "tough and hard-headed" policy and warned would-be illegal migrants they were not "welcome" in the UK.

If they're not welcome, why does the government provide welfare benefits specifically for illegals. It's called Section 4 benefit and you can only get it if you are in the UK illegally.

Lemme give you another example of our tough immigration policies. Indian IT companies set up a 'UK Subsidiary'. The UK subsidiary tenders for work using Indian staff. The Indian staff pay neither tax nor national insurance in the UK so they can undercut any British company. They are granted an 'intra company transfer' visa to enter the UK on demand. I know dozens of British engineers who have been made redundant to be replaced by tax free Indians. In many UK IT companies, you'd now struggle to spot a white face.

"tough and hard-headed". Don't make me laugh.

And several Labour, Tory and Lib Dem MP's have been receiving money from this company, a fact that C4 Despatches omitted when it did its expose on the lobbying scandal.

According to Ms Moran, EURIM’s clients “are paying members who want to influence the agenda. We produce some reports, but mostly it’s lobbying Ministers,” Ms Moran said.

The EURIM website states prominently that EURIM “does not undertake lobbying activities, nor does it make a case on behalf of individual companies.”

Ms Moran’s on-camera admissions prove this to be an outright lie.

“The last one I think was on the immigration rules…because a lot of IT companies had used short-term workers from India,” Ms Moran told the undercover reporter.

“The immigration points system was going to throw that. I actually went and saw Tata who are the big Indian IT company…so we got that points system changed. So they still are able to bring workers in for big projects,” Ms Moran said on tape.

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) is on record as saying that the importation of IT workers from India was the direct cause of “tens of thousands of British IT workers” being made jobless.

According to APSCo, most of those coming to the UK on the visas are IT workers, with more than 70 percent from India. They also reported that experienced British IT staff claim they are now finding it “virtually impossible to find work” because of the flood of overseas contractors, who also work for cheaper rates.

Ms Moran also claimed that she used her influence to delay the introduction of a “terrorist-detector” passport system to help Thomson Travel (TUI) — and that company then paid for her air tickets and travel for a holiday in Spain.

“I’m on the Home Affairs Select Committee — I went off and sort of slightly, gently, well I didn’t have to harass Keith Vaz, I was just, he owes me one…so he did a fairly quick report, but we interrogated all the people that needed to be interrogated and it proved what Thomson TUI were saying…so they’re changing the system now so they are giving more lead-in time and they’re changing some of the technologies,” she said.

EURIM currently lists nine politicians as directors, including deputy chairman, Tory MP Ian Taylor, and four peers and an MEP.


And people will still vote for the lying, corrupt B*stards.

This (if true) exposes a lot more corruption involving the politicians who rule Britain.It seems that Ms Moran is a right sleazebag.

Arn't they all sleazebags?