Project Fear DID work ... it made us more afraid

PROJECT Fear scored at least one success – it made the country more anxious, figures show.

The months of warnings about recession, economic collapse and international isolation pumped out by the EU referendum Remain camp coincided with a wave of increased anxiety, according to official happiness ratings from the Office for National Statistics.

Between the autumn of 2015 and September last year an average person’s senses of satisfaction, of the value of their life and their happiness were unchanged.

But for the first time in four years people confessed that they were getting more anxious.

In October 2015 average anxiety levels were measured at 2.83 out of ten, but by the following September that rose to 2.90.

The ONS said there was no financial reason for people to feel more anxious. It reported: ‘It is possible the lack of improvement in three of the four personal well-being measures and increase in anxiety in this period compared with this period last year could be associated with the uncertainties surrounding governance, the economy and global security.

‘For example, the latest period covered by these data included campaigning for the EU referendum, as well as three months postEU referendum.’

Eurosceptic Tories blamed the referendum Remain camp for causing the country unnecessary worry.

Philip Davies, MP for Shipley, said: ‘Project Fear was all about trying to make the country feel more and more anxious.

‘Since the referendum result, it seems, the country has continued to go from strength to strength.’

The happiness measures are taken from the ONS Annual Population Survey, which questions 158,000 people.