Cameron to face investigation over growth figures hint
The official statistics watchdog says it will look into claims that David Cameron breached the law when he hinted that good news can be expected in tomorrow’s GDP figures.
Mr Cameron was speaking during a heated exchange with Labour leader Ed Miliband during prime minister’s questions, when he suggested there were reasons to be positive about the economy.
“The good news will keep coming”, he said. “It is the Conservatives getting behind growth and jobs.” On the money markets, the sterling/dollar rate appeared to shoot up as he made the remarks.
According to Labour, the prime minister had made a serious breach of the rules, by referring to tomorrow’s GDP figures, which are widely expected to show that the UK is coming out of recession by returning to growth, boosted in part by the London Olympics.
Selected ministers and senior officials are given special access to market sensitive data, 24 hours in advance: a practice that the UK Statistics Authority has been wanting to outlaw for years.
Andrew Dilnot, now chair of the watchdog, told MPs when he was appointed that he wanted to see “all pre-release access removed. I just do not understand how a reasonable person could say that was neccessary”.
Mr Cameron’s official spokesman flatly denied the PM had been referring to GDP. “He was basically saying we are on the right track , the government has the right policies, and the economy is healing and rebalancing”.
Pressed on the issue, he went on: “The issue here is was he (the prime minister) talking about tomorrow’s figures? I’m telling you he wasn’t.”
A Downing Street spokeswoman said Mr Cameron did not regret using that form of words, but would not elaborate on whether he had seen tomorrow’s official figures or not.
Just to be clear, the PM received tmrw’s GDP figs at 9.30am today. His “good news” slip will cause a big row with the ONS, maybe more. #PMQs
— Damian McBride (@DPMcBride) October 24, 2012
A Labour source claimed it was “shambolic and absurd” for the prime minister to hint at the figures, saying: “It is a sign of a desperately weak David Cameron that he has to play fast and loose with the rules on financial information to get him out of a political hole.”
Damian McBride, a senior adviser to Gordon Brown, tweeted: “Law is clear. No indication of their content [may be] disclosed.” And he warned: “His ‘good news’ slip will cause a big row with ONS, maybe more.”
When Tony Blair appeared to let slip some employment figures in 2006, senior Conservatives were in uproar. George Osborne, now chancellor, called it an “irresponsible gaffe”, and it earned Mr Blair an official reprimand.
The UK Statistics Authority has confirmed it will look into today’s incident to decide whether any further action is warranted.
