The Metropolis

Mayor Johnson misuses 24.8% of all statistics

Mike Pollitt | Thursday 17 November, 2011 11:08

THAT HEADLINE IS A JOKE

I don’t know how many stats he has peddled inaccurately. But it’s more than he should.

Adam has dug up a particularly flagrant example:

[The] claim that crime has fallen by 9% under Boris was based on…comparing crime levels in May 2011, with crime levels in May 2005. In other words Boris is taking credit for falls in crime that took place three whole years before he walked through the door at City Hall.

If you read the full story, you’ll agree that this is really shoddy work which deserves ridicule and condemnation, not least because it looks more like blatant electioneering than carelessness.

Yesterday he came under more fire for his dodgy youth offending claims which have been covered exhaustedly here, here and here.

Dave Hill sums it up:

When it comes to peddling dodgy numbers about crime, he’s becoming a serial offender.

And yet yesterday he had the cheek to call the chairman of the UK statistics authority, by all accounts a splendidly impartial chap, a “Labour stooge”.

That looks like breathtaking arrogance to me. All in all, pretty dismal stuff.

Adam Bienkov – Boris Johnson’s false crime claims exposed
Dave Hill – Boris Johnson’s funny numbers
Mayorwatch – Boris brands statistics watchdog ‘a Labour stooge’
Tim Donovan – London mayor admits ‘caveats’ in youth crime statistics
Ben Goldacre – Boris Johnson gets upset when he’s not allowed to misuse statistics. That tells a story.

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