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Media Integrity > Published by Shamik Das, March 9th 2010 at 4:57 pm

Grayling fails to release full details of “study” showing rise in violent crime

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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.”

Chris-GraylingAll 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.

  • http://twitter.com/patrickwoodman/status/10228627296 Patrick Woodman

    RT @leftfootfwd: Grayling fails to release details of "study" showing rise in violent crime: http://cli.gs/q97sH

  • http://twitter.com/samhowroyd/status/10228798372 Sam Howroyd

    RT @leftfootfwd: Grayling fails to release details of "study" showing rise in violent crime: http://cli.gs/q97sH

  • http://twitter.com/bencooper86/status/10228858464 Ben Cooper

    @OxfordSpring maybe why Sir Michael can't question the validity of the new "study" Grayling cites: http://cli.gs/q97sH (via @leftfootfwd)

  • http://twitter.com/bencooper86/status/10228880466 Ben Cooper

    RT @leftfootfwd: Grayling fails to release details of "study" showing rise in violent crime: http://cli.gs/q97sH

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/billy_blofeld/ Billy Blofeld

    I like the image…… although it made me think this…..

  • http://twitter.com/hanlemic/status/10237371666 Michael Hanley

    RT @leftfootfwd: Grayling fails to release details of "study" showing rise in violent crime: http://cli.gs/q97sH

  • Mr. Sensible

    Shamik, why are you surprised?

  • http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/03/12/there-aint-nuthin-more-powerful-than-the-smell-of-tory-mendacity/ Liberal Conspiracy » There ain’t nuthin’ more powerful than the smell of Tory mendacity!

    [...] 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. [...]

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/04/out-of-hiding-calamity-grayling-is-wrong-on-drugs-reoffending/ Calamity Grayling is wrong on drugs & reoffending | Left Foot Forward

    [...] Grayling has been spotted! After gaffe after gaffe, the Conservative shadow home secretary has come out of hiding. And once again, he has been [...]

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/04/grayling-fails-to-welcome-fall-in-violent-crime/ Grayling fails to welcome fall in violent crime | Left Foot Forward

    [...] also fell between 2008 and 2009. Grayling has repeatedly insinuated violent crime is up, yet has failed to provide evidence for [...]

  • http://twitter.com/daveycameron/status/12715391054 David Cameron

    Might have to have Andy sort Grayling out. Can't have any more episodes like this http://bit.ly/cwUh1z

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/04/look-left-the-week-in-fast-forward-23-04-10/ Look Left – The Week in Fast Forward | Left Foot Forward

    [...] 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 [...]

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/04/machete-leaflet-ppc-i-am-dr-earth/ Machete leaflet PPC: “I am Dr Earth” | Left Foot Forward

    [...] 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 [...]

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/04/tories-still-refusing-to-admit-crime-is-down/ Tories still refusing to admit crime is down | Left Foot Forward

    [...] 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 [...]

  • http://twitter.com/wdjstraw/status/12943913819 Will Straw

    @SarahPortsmth Sigh! @leftfootfwd has asked Grayling's office repeatedly for the HoC report but never received it. http://bit.ly/bf7hXa

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/04/chris-grayling-crime-misuse/ Grayling’s use of crime stats attacked by fact checkers | Left Foot Forward

    [...] Foot Forward has, for weeks, challenged the shadow home secretary to publish the House of Commons report, cited by the Spectator this [...]