Dromey Writes To Statistics Chief Over Grant Shapps

Grant Shapps stands accused of misleading the media, the public, and parliament about the extent of the housing crisis by Labour after his shadow Jack Dromey wrote to the head of the UK Statistics Authority. The letter raises questions over the housing minister’s use of statistics to obscure the depth of the housing crisis. Dromey asks about alleged misrepresentations by Shapps about the supply of homes between 1997-2010, affordable homes built in the last 18 years, rough sleeping, the cost of self-builds, and the number of houses being built in the UK.  In one case, Shapps told parliament the number of houses starting to be built in England were rising by 25% 2011 compared to 2009, despite government statistics showing annual housing starts were down 4% in 2011 from the previous year.  "I am deeply concerned that this casual attitude to accuracy is not only confusing to the public but it is obstructing genuine public debate. Furthermore, it undermines legitimate calls for real action to deals with our nation's housing and homelessness crisis," he writes.  Read more on the Huffington Post website.