Oops, I am alive....

[johnny9fingers]

Caught Jacob Rees-Mogg on Newsnight last night, with of all people Will Self.

Rees-Mogg made a number of uncontested claims during the interview, at which Self was the other guest. At one point Rees-Mogg suggested that the UK's 'Structural Deficit', at some seven-point-mumble percent, which he claimed to be "almost eight" is amongst the highest in the world. Neither the interviewer, nor Self questioned Rees-Mogg on which countries had a greater structural debt. Sloppy interviewing, or giving Rees-Mogg an easy time? Who knows?

As it happens, the countries with higher 'Structural Deficits' than the UK are (figures for 2004 alas):

USA -25.56%
Japan -24.86%
China -9.75%
Germany -8.33%
France -7.46%

And the UK -7.43%

So all the countries with larger structural debts have larger economies. And as the 5th or sixth largest economy in the world we have the sixth largest 'Structural Debt'.

I mean, I don't think that Will Self should necessarily have all this stuff at his fingertips....but the journalist interviewing Self and Rees-Mogg should have at least a grasp of the questions at hand. Shoddy, Newsnight, shoddy.

Comments

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

Wait, so Iceland aint that bad after all? ;)

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Okay, the figures are out of date. But the US, Germany, France, & Japan have all had to spend at least as much as the UK has since the crash, and relative spending (and debt levels) have remained pretty similar. Iceland is a special case. :( Sry.

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

I keed. Everyone knows that Iceland is no country (just some rock that doesnt matter). Hence, its absence from the stats :p