Gordon Brown admits error on defence spending evidence

[metalmonkey]

I saw this in the news but it seems to have been buried a bit. Why I am not suprised he yet again lied? I mean who would really who would vote for this idiot come the election?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8572372.stm

[punyXpress]

That was no ' error '
T'was a string of downright lies ( as usual )
He is congenitally incapable of telling the truth.

[Bri w]

The article goes on to say that in that period expenditure increased by 12% in real terms. The inflation in that period was 15.9% in real terms.

So he's lied about the % in real terms, and lied about it rising more than the rate of inflation at a time when defence needs far outstripped inflation rates.

If Labour dropped him, and snake-Mandelson, I might consider them but whilst they're led by a liar and his cohort I won't even give them a second look.

Damn, you've got me going!!!!!!!!!

And relax

[keith_d]

Not exactly. Real terms numbers are corrected for general inflation in the economy. Nominal figures are the amounts actually spent. Naturally, politicians prefer nominal numbers when talking about armed forces budgets. But here we're talking about real terms increases (with general inflation taken out).

This becomes more complicated because different sectors of the economy see different rates of inflation. For example imported military components also have an element of currency inflation. So, while general inflation runs at 2%, the prices of imported hardware could have risen 5%.

Now there are two possibilities. Either Gordon Brown failed to understand some fairly basic economics or he's a mendacious tw*t.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

Keith

[punyXpress]

mendacious
Is that keith d speak for " lying barsteward "?

[Bri w]

Kd, you are spot on with the prices and how they can bear little comparison to actual costs, e.g. the current cost of fuel is up 14% in less than 1 year. And the Dollar exchange rate has changed so much in the last year alone the cost of hardware, e.g. spares for the Chinook and Harriers has risen dramatically.

As to mendacious, deliberatelydeceptive without a doubt but definitely not beguiling - he doesn't turn me on...