Alex Hern reports on Ed Balls’s active background role in today’s Prime Minister’s Questions, and his canny prepared graph.
David Cameron again refused to acknowledge any facts which make him look bad today at Prime Minister’s Questions, but this time it was harder than ever to accurately feign ignorance.
Ed Miliband claimed that the autumn statement will mean:
“The poorest third will lose three times as much as the richest third.”
Cameron’s normal attitude would be to claim that the facts were wrong, safe in the knowledge that the fact-checkers aren’t in the commons with him. This time, however, Ed Balls had clearly planned ahead, by printing off a very large copy of the following graph (slide 10, pdf) and waving it at him (2:30 in the vid below):
It appears, however, that the prime minister is incapable of accepting the evidence which is literally in front of his face.
You can watch a video of the exchange below:
Look at the graph deniers squirm, just look at them.
See also:
• “We’re all in this together” – when ‘we’ means the bottom 80% – Will Straw, November 29th 2011
• Kellner: The public don’t like the Tories, but they’ve signed up to their economic argument – Daniel Elton, November 28th 2011
• On the Financial Transaction Tax, why is Osborne on the side of the one per cent? – Shamik Das, November 2nd 2011
• There’s nothing exceptional about 50% tax rates – Declan Gaffney, September 9th 2011
• Cruddas: Big Society failing the “all in this together” test as safety nets go – Daisy Blacklock, April 26th 2011
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36 Responses to “Cameron ignores evidence literally in front of his face”
Giles Bradshaw
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Anonymous
Ah, the trick of using percentages rather than pounds. Nothing that can’t be twisted.
So how much are the poor being given?
How much are the poor paying?
How much are the rich being given?
How much are the rich paying?
What is the change?
Poor are being given less. They aren’t paying before or after.
How much are the rich being giving? Nothing has change.
However, they are paying more.
So the poor are still up on the deal, and the rich down.
Michael Dugher
RT @leftfootfwd: The graph @EdBallsMP was waving at Cameron, revealed: http://t.co/FMxiwPi2 by @AlexHern #PMQs
Sue Hoyle
RT @leftfootfwd: The graph @EdBallsMP was waving at Cameron, revealed: http://t.co/FMxiwPi2 by @AlexHern #PMQs
Andrew G
RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron ignores evidence http://t.co/9AJ01Rv0 >> Cameron:- "No. His figures are wrong". Unbelivable. #PMQS