Lies, dam*ed lies, statistics…and the News.

As both of my regular readers know, I often trawl the news sites looking for, well, news. Yesterday was no exception and I read a couple of articles on that well known bastion of current affairs based in the UK (yes, of course, you know where I am going with this; it’s the one run by the Broken Biscuit Company.)

What I am about to tell you will come as no surprise to some; the news we receive these days is the news that someone wants us to receive and in a way, they want us to receive it. In other words, it is at the very best spin, passing through propaganda and arriving at the very worst of news, lies; nowadays referred to as ‘alternative facts.

The two articles I mentioned were published on the same day and both on the front page of the UK section of this particular site.

The first was about alcohol consumption in the UK. Apparently, the Brits have fallen out somewhat with having a bevvy, a wee dram or getting blootered. In a poll carried out in 2016, just under 60% had had a drink in the past week. This apparently is the lowest rate since 2005. The report did urge caution as the survey was based on the personal recollections and for those who drink to excess, that may not be too clear. It also stated the young are not big drinkers… I think that certain European destinations may not agree with that. Perhaps the fall is due to that very fact, with the amount of tax placed on alcohol it could well be cheaper to book a flight on SneezyJet to Prague and have a few glasses there.

The second article suggested that a fall in public violence had been offset by an increase in domestic violence. In a request made under the Freedom of Information Act, a report highlights the move away from violence in public places into ‘private’ places.

The report went on to suggest the Police believed the increase in violence may be down to an increase in the consumption of alcohol and the use of psychoactive drugs.

So, there we have it;

1. The British are drinking less.
2. The British are drinking more.
3. The statistics are being manipulated to suit the teller’s tale.

I think I know which my money is on and of course if you want to see the finest

examples of this, watch any politician in the run up to the election; except Dianne Abbot, who has gone back to primary to learn to do sums.

This was a party political broadcast on behalf of the , When Is Somebody Actually Going To Tell The Truth? party.