14 September 2008

Lies, damned lies and SNP statistics

Posted by Scottish Unionist at 7:56 PM. There is 1 comment.
This is from an SNP press release (see screenshot) which followed the publication of the July 2008 YouGov poll:
The poll also shows that 66% of Scots want Scotland to become an independent member of the European Union.
That’s completely untrue, of course, as the poll itself clearly shows. But Nicola Sturgeon repeated the false claim:
The poll shows that two-thirds of Scots want Scotland to become an independent member of the European Union, with only 11% supporting London representation.
In fact, the 66% was the percentage, not of all Scots, but of people who said they would vote yes in an independence referendum! And the question didn’t even contain the word “independent”.

Later, the SNP’s web page was amended to remove the misrepresentation, but by that time the Deputy First Minister’s false statement had served its purpose. No retraction was ever issued.
1 comment
  1. Conan the Librarian™ September 15, 2008 7:54 PM  

    Aye AM2, we all ken how stats can be manipulated eh...?

    ...Yet there is an SNP Government.

    And what's the betting on an SNP win in Glenrothes?

    Would you put that particular stat on your website AM2?