Straight Statistics

StevieJ

Intereresting website that monitors the use/misuse of Statistics by Govt and others.

http://straightstatistics.org/

vivatifosi

Excellent spot StevieJ. I have had to use government statistics for about the past 20 years and they have at times been the bane of my life, its about time there was a campaign to keep them real. They regularly re-base statistics, change geographic parameters or definitions in such a way as to render time-series comparison useless. They have also dropped some data series that have run for years. So then you try and get FOI data as a surrogate and they say its too expensive to compile. PITA!!!

Anyhow, I'm going to step back from my soapbox now and get back to watching F1 before my blood boils.

purch

Intereresting website that monitors the use/misuse of Statistics by Govt and others

Have you been 'seduced' by the Dark Side stevie ???? :eek:

nearlynew

"Straight Statistics is a pressure group whose aim is to detect and expose the distortion and misuse of statistical information, and identify those responsible. It has been formed by a group of legislators, statisticians and journalists, chaired by the non-aligned peer Lord Lipsey".

It sounds great doesn't it?

Until you realise it is just another quango.

Another government sponsored group spouting propoganda and a drain on taxpayer.

absolute bullsh1t

StevieJ

nearlynew wrote: »

"Straight Statistics is a pressure group whose aim is to detect and expose the distortion and misuse of statistical information, and identify those responsible. It has been formed by a group of legislators, statisticians and journalists, chaired by the non-aligned peer Lord Lipsey".

It sounds great doesn't it?

Until you realise it is just another quango.

Another government sponsored group spouting propoganda and a drain on taxpayer.

absolute bullsh1t

It is not sponsored by the Govt but by the Nuffield foundation. I am not so sure why you are so annoyed by this, a quick review of the website doesn't give an impression of toeing the govt line, in fact quite the opposite.

http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/

Comment from Lord Lipsey in the House of Lords

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?gid=2009-06-01a.83.0


Of course politicians are not the only ones who bend the facts. Advertisers do it, companies do it, and PR companies do it in spades. The worst culprits, let us face it, are the newspapers, many of which never let statistical integrity stand in the way of a good story. But although there are many offenders, government statistics should be the gold standard by which the statistics of others and their use are judged. If government statistics are once distrusted, there is no basis in fact on which our national policy and political life can proceed.

And in the Times

The row over whether there will be public spending cuts is a perfect example of an increasingly common British failing - a reluctance to face figures. The Government's own estimates make it plain there will be cuts, but Ed Balls still has the nerve to bluster emptily that only the Conservatives intend to make them. His belief is that people are too stupid to work it out for themselves, and that a lie shouted loud enough will drown out the truth.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6523495.ece

nearlynew

From their website............

"Straight Statistics is a company limited by guarantee, governed by a board of directors and supported by an Advisory Council. It is backed by a Grant for Research and Innovation from the Nuffield Foundation, awarded in December 2008".

They are funded by a quango, ergo, the government.

Yet more of our money being p1ssed down the drain.

StevieJ

purch wrote: »

Have you been 'seduced' by the Dark Side stevie ???? :eek:

You know the quote by Disraeli or was it Mark Twain

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."

Oh so true

StevieJ

nearlynew wrote: »

From their website............

"Straight Statistics is a company limited by guarantee, governed by a board of directors and supported by an Advisory Council. It is backed by a Grant for Research and Innovation from the Nuffield Foundation, awarded in December 2008".

They are funded by a quango, ergo, the government.

Yet more of our money being p1ssed downa adrain.

Wrong

From the Nuffield site

The Foundation's income (around £9m a year) comes from the returns on its investments. It does not fund-raise, or receive money from the Government. The Foundation's financial independence and lack of vested interests helps to ensure an impartial and even-handed approach to problems in the projects it funds.

Graham_Devon

nearlynew wrote: »

From their website............

"Straight Statistics is a company limited by guarantee, governed by a board of directors and supported by an Advisory Council. It is backed by a Grant for Research and Innovation from the Nuffield Foundation, awarded in December 2008".

They are funded by a quango, ergo, the government.

Yet more of our money being p1ssed downa adrain.

Haven't got a clue if this is government funded or not.

But it's mildy amusing they pay spin doctos to spin the statistics, then announce them to us all, then pay someone else to drill down and get what they really meant.....then most probably pay no attention to them whatsoever.

nearlynew

StevieJ wrote: »

Wrong

From the Nuffield site

The Foundation's income (around £9m a year) comes from the returns on its investments. It does not fund-raise, or receive money from the Government. The Foundation's financial independence and lack of vested interests helps to ensure an impartial and even-handed approach to problems in the projects it funds.

Dig a little deeper Stevie.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

That reminds me where is Lord Levys DNA?