Lies, damned lies and Brexit stats

YEARS ago, when I was doing A- levels, I remember doing some statistics lessons as part of the General Studies course.

The upshot of the course, although I can’t recall any details, was that you can prove just about anything or find evidence to back up any claim by using statistics.

I was reminded of this last week when reading the headline: “Brexit will make Britain poorer”.

The BBC said it thus: “The UK will be poorer economically under any form of Brexit, compared with staying in the EU, new government analysis suggests.

“Official figures say the UK economy could be up to 3.9% smaller after 15 years under Theresa May’s Brexit plan, compared with staying in the EU.”

Did anyone pause to ask “smaller than what?”

Because, at first glance, those figures look like they suggest the UK economy will shrink from its current level because of Brexit, and in 15 years we’ll be four per cent poorer than we are now. That is BOLLOCKS! In 15 years’ time we’ll be better off than we are now.

The statistics assume that Britain will grow faster in the EU than outside.

The so- called “cost” of Brexit – £ 3,000 at the latest guess – is nothing of the kind.

You won’t be three grand out of pocket due to Brexit. You won’t have to pay three grand out of your savings to escape the clutches of the EU.

But everyone seems to parrot this “Brexit will make the UK economy shrink by 3.9%” line.

It’s JUST NOT TRUE.

David Lammy ( left), the Labour MP for Tottenham, showed a Diane Abbott- like flimsy grip on numbers when he tweeted: “Brexit will make GDP shrink by 3.9% annually.” That’s just not true. Statistics have been used and abused throughout the whole referendum and Brexit process.

There was Boris’s bollocks bus ( below) and Project Fear’s woeful predictions of huge unemployment and economic collapse the day after a leave vote. Here’s the truth. NOBODY knows what’s going to happen after Brexit – if it ever happens.

The “experts” have been wrong EVERY TIME about EVERY THING when it comes to our relationship with the EU. One thing is certain. You can’t put a pounds- and- pence value on Britain’s freedom.

And freedom from Brussels is what Brexit should deliver us.