The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

The Tories are still lying about "a million" new private sector jobs

The party still won't admit that Cameron is including 196,000 posts reclassified from the public sector.

By George Eaton Published 26 October 2012 16:34

David Cameron at the Conservative conference in Birmingham earlier this month. Photograph: Getty Images.

Earlier this week, I explained why David Cameron is misleading voters when he claims that "one million" private sector jobs have been created since the coalition took office (as he did in his conference speech and at this week's PMQs). Cameron's figure deceptively includes 196,000 further education and sixth form college posts reclassified from the public sector in March; the real figure is a less impressive 874,000 (1,070,000 minus 196,000). As the Office for National Statistics stated in its most recent release:

These educational bodies employed 196,000 people in March 2012 and the reclassification therefore results in a large fall in public sector employment and a corresponding large increase in private sector employment between March and June 2012.

When Conservative MP Claire Perry nevertheless trotted out the stat on last night's Question Time, I called her out on it. In response, the Tory Treasury team tweeted:

.@georgeeaton the one million jobs created stat takes into account the reclassification issue

— @ToryTreasury (@ToryTreasury) October 25, 2012

Yet the only way that the Tories can achieve a figure of a million, whilst excluding the reclassified posts, is by measuring the rise in private sector employment since quarter one of 2010. In other words, by using pre-election data from April and May 2010 (resulting in a figure of 1,377,000). This would be allowable if Cameron referred to "private sector job creation since March 2010" (noting, perhaps, how Alistair Darling's fiscal stimulus aided job creation), but he doesn't. In his speech to the Conservative conference, he said:

Since this government took office, over one million new jobs have been created in the private sector.

Despite the Tories' protestations, it's clear that Cameron is misleadingly including the 196,000 posts transferred from the public sector. For one thing, if he isn't, why doesn't he use the figure of 1,377,000?

After promising a new era of accuracy and transparency in statistics, the Tories have lamentably failed to deliver.

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Tags: Conservatives Economy Employment David Cameron

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13 comments

Mon, 2012-10-29 23:11 — Graemey (not verified)

"For one thing, if he isn't, why doesn't he use the figure of 1,377,000?"
Because Cameron is a compulsive liar?

Sat, 2012-10-27 09:35 — Brenda Braithwaite (not verified)

The Jobcentres around the country have a trick of putting people previously on Jobseekers Allowance and who are still unemployed on what they call a Hardship Payment and taking them off Jobseekers Allowance when there has been no change in their circumstances. I know someone this happened to and they were left penniless for weeks with only help from parents (on State pension). Their pleas went unheard and now they are working again a payment has gone into their bank account (not marked "Jobseekers Allowance" or any similar reference)which was obviously owed to them when they had nothing. How many people has this happened to. Is this a way of massaging the jobless figures?
They certainly cannot be accurate with these ploys going on! Dickensian Britain.

Fri, 2012-10-26 20:44 — p j wall (not verified)

I expect nothing else from the Tories!, they have selective memory syndrome; like when Flashman and Gideon promised to match Labours spending, and more, in 2007!!, Thatcher lied and manipulated the jobless figures in the 80s!, even with the fiddled figures, the total jobless was over 3 million!, when everyone know, the real jobless was about 4 million!.
Every Tory MP opposed the minimum wage!, including Flashman, they said it would cost millions of jobs, and the world would come to an end!!, Flashman even objected to paternity leave!, even though he later took it himself!!, even last year, Tory Nasty, Philip Davies MP, stood up in the commons and suggested, that the Disabled and Handicapped, should be paid less then the minimum wage, stating, it would make them more employable!!!.
The Tories are back to their real nasty ways!!, Lying, Vindictive, Victimising the undeserving poor, Stigmatising EVERYONE on benefits, Persecuting the Sick, Disabled, and Handicapped!!!, under the guise of "We`re all in this together"!.
Let`s not forget their final act of cutting the tax rate for their Millionaire friends!, whilst at the same time, cutting the benefits of wheelchair bound amputees!!!, They`re now picking on anyone who has more then two kids!.
Those poor sods who were thrown on the scrapheap yesterday,whilst Flashman and Gideon posed in their own Hubris, and Smugness, are now going to be stigmatised like everyone else who`s jobless, because they had the audacity to get made redundent after years of loyal service!!.
People don`t need telling the economy is improving?, when in the real world those of us who have jobs,have had pay cuts, pay freezes, whilst everything has shot up!!, energy, food, etc, the so called jobs created are mostly part time!, most working people are now underemployed, through no fault of their own, yet, they`ve still got worse to come, with further cuts to come, by the Vindictive Tories!.
So, don`t be poor, sick, jobless, disabled, handicapped, have more than 2 kids, and claim any benefit!, because, you`ll be classed as Plebs and Scum.
But, if you`re a Millionaire, Tax Dodger, and donate to the Tory party!, well done!.
Joseph Goebbels would be very proud of the Tories, and their distortions of the facts!!.

Sun, 2012-10-28 17:52 — redmary2 (not verified)

So, don't be poor, sick, jobless, disabled, handicapped, have more then 2 kids, and claim any benefit,! because you'll be classed as plebs and scum, But, if you're a Millionair, Tax Dodger, and donate to the Tory party,! well done,! Joseph Goebbels would be very proud of the Tories, and their distortions of the facts,!>>>>@ Excellent post, could not have put it better myself,!

Sat, 2012-10-27 19:54 — Posh Tosh (not verified)

IDS would be a good stand-in for Goebbels indeed he could also be Lord He-Haw, he could have twice the ministers allowances for two jobs, is as sensitive of humans as as an inch thick condom - he thrills me not.

Fri, 2012-10-26 20:50 — kenelmist (not verified)

Every word you say is true.

Fri, 2012-10-26 20:19 — matthew fox (not verified)

The Tories struggle with being honest when it comes to unemployment. In 1997 Labour inherited 2.74 million claimants on incapacity benefit or or severe disablement allowance, having been only 1.9m in 1992

I remember the Tories devising employment schemes to massage the employment figures.

Fri, 2012-10-26 20:04 — Posh Tosh (not verified)

If Cameron and his clan of odious Westminster bi-partisan bedfellows are highlighting Savile, or SoVile, then obvious they are hiding what they are doing behind the scenes.

It was a good day to hide other things that happen behind the scenes.

I do remember in the Thatcher era reading on a train through Birmingham about a Tory Minister that had attended a case where he gave evidence about kiddie abuse, or pedophilia within establishment circles as it is called now. The Press were forbidden to mention his name or give any other identity, other than he was a Minister of Thatchers.

Was he involved with Savile?

Fri, 2012-10-26 22:32 — Paul J (not verified)

Lord Alistair Mcalpine is an "interesting" man.
And still alive.

Fri, 2012-10-26 19:19 — Mr Bingham (not verified)

Cameron's deceit and lies have created more misery to the general population than any criminal could even dream of.

Politicians have a licence to commit legalised criminality.

The Tories could not function unless they lie !

Fri, 2012-10-26 16:44 — Sid Cumberland (not verified)

You're right - this makes Cameron worse than Jimmy Savile, dontcha think?

Fri, 2012-10-26 22:38 — Mr Bingham (not verified)

Yep, without doubt !

Fri, 2012-10-26 17:45 — kenelmist (not verified)

Well it is true that Tories are rightly shouting about alleged abuse by Savile or others - whilst their policies and attacks on poor, disabled, or just too many kids in a family (for God's sake) are just another kind of abuse.