Trick Seven: Development of Trick Six: statistics.

“There are lies, damned lies and statistics.” – as Disraeli never said.
But facts and figures can make a very powerful argument. This is from the website of Guido Fawkes:

Despite Guido presenting them with compelling evidence that anti-Brexit billboard campaign ‘Led By Donkeys’ are in breach of EU election spending limits, the Electoral Commission tell Guido that they are simply “monitoring the activities” of Led By Donkeys. They add that Led By Donkeys are “fully aware” that they will have to register if they spend more than £20,000 in England, or £10,000 in any other part of the UK. According to their own figures they’ve already spent over £230,000…

Who can argue with that? The Electoral Commission has at last taken action.


This is from John Redwood's blog. He is trying to support a very hard Brexit:

179 states trade successfully with the EU with no customs union or single market membership

So if they can do it, why can't we?
The thing is: you cannot argue with the facts.
But that does not make an argument.
What Sir John is not telling us is that these trading agreements took many years to arrange. And we have a couple of months only…Facts in themselves do not make an argument.

The danger is either this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxjkvjHn6Qg


Or this:

Like everything else: statistics need to be used very carefully.
I once bought a meal which had a large red bonnet pepper laid neatly on the top. I could not eat it. It was simply too hot. Really unpleasant.
Stats are a bit like that: a hint of spice is lovely: a large red pepper is not.