Published by , March 9th 2010 at 4:57 pm
Grayling fails to release full details of “study” showing rise in violent crime
Chris Grayling is at the centre of yet more allegations of misusing statistics after failing to provide full details of a House of Commons Library “study”, spun to the right wing press this morning, which apparently showed a 44 per cent rise in violent crime.
The shadow home secretary’s office are the only people able to release the complete details of the “study” – which is, in fact, “not a study at all”, as a spokeswoman for the House of Commons Library explained to Left Foot Forward:
“I’m afraid I cannot send you the information you require, it was an individual request for information from a member. I can’t even tell you who that member is because it was a confidential request, though it’s pretty obvious who it was.
“In any case, it’s not a study at all, just some answers to a request from a member.”
All of which poses a number of questions, both for Grayling and the papers which ran with his figures:
• Why is Grayling so reluctant to release the full details?
• Why didn’t any newspapers press him on the details?
• Would Grayling have released any figures at all if they had contradicted his hypothesis?
• Would anyone have found out about his request if he had failed to release the findings?
Left Foot Forward has previously reported that violent crime is down, on a range of indicators, both in the past year and over the past 15 years.
The recent “Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2008/09″ shows homicides down 14% from 2007/8 – the lowest level for ten years – “Sharp instrument” homicides down 6%, shooting homicides down 26% and all firearms offences down 18% – the fifth consecutive fall.
The official figures also reveal all violent crime, classed as robbery, sexual offences, assault and murder, is down nearly 50 per cent since peaking in 1995.
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RT @leftfootfwd: Grayling fails to release details of "study" showing rise in violent crime: http://cli.gs/q97sH
RT @leftfootfwd: Grayling fails to release details of "study" showing rise in violent crime: http://cli.gs/q97sH
@OxfordSpring maybe why Sir Michael can't question the validity of the new "study" Grayling cites: http://cli.gs/q97sH (via @leftfootfwd)
RT @leftfootfwd: Grayling fails to release details of "study" showing rise in violent crime: http://cli.gs/q97sH
I like the image…… although it made me think this…..
RT @leftfootfwd: Grayling fails to release details of "study" showing rise in violent crime: http://cli.gs/q97sH
Shamik, why are you surprised?
[...] that crime had risen by 44% under Labour, and we know that this refusal stems from the fact that there is no new study, as confirmed by Shamik Das’s conversation with a spokeswoman for the House of Commons Library. [...]
[...] Grayling has been spotted! After gaffe after gaffe, the Conservative shadow home secretary has come out of hiding. And once again, he has been [...]
[...] also fell between 2008 and 2009. Grayling has repeatedly insinuated violent crime is up, yet has failed to provide evidence for [...]
Might have to have Andy sort Grayling out. Can't have any more episodes like this http://bit.ly/cwUh1z
[...] was up, however, and failed to welcome the news of the fall in violent crime. Grayling is still refusing to produce evidence for his oft-repeated claim that violent crime is up 44 per cent under Labour; the true figure is a [...]
[...] Tory leaflets featured a bloody machete with the words “Labour’s cuts” and the untrue claim violent crime was “up 44%” under Labour – the real figure is a 41% fall. The [...]
[...] cited Grayling’s House of Commons “study”, the details of which he never released, saying: “The House of Commons library has just done a very good piece of work to show that [...]
@SarahPortsmth Sigh! @leftfootfwd has asked Grayling's office repeatedly for the HoC report but never received it. http://bit.ly/bf7hXa
[...] Foot Forward has, for weeks, challenged the shadow home secretary to publish the House of Commons report, cited by the Spectator this [...]