This morning brings a salutary reminder to not believe everything that the papers say.
I note The National newspaper in Scotland reporting that:
POLITICAL economist Richard Murphy has torn apart George Osborne's suggestion that the UK Government should simply reject a new Scottish independence referendum, accusing him and other high-profile Unionists of “killing the very thing they supposedly cherish”.
Murphy, a professor of practice in international political economy at City University London and a tax reform campaigner, wrote that the former chancellor's Evening Standard column on the issue was an “absolute clanger”.
Not much wrong there, beyond a minor misrepresentation of my job title.
But meanwhile the online version of the Daily Express had an article on Scottish independence, revelling in two economists suggesting the Scottish economy would have a terrible time if it became independent before noting:
Tax Research UK's Richard Murphy told the Daily Record that Scotland should take on the euro, and could succeed outside of the union.
He said: "I do see it is possible for Scotland to stand as an independent state.
"I don't pretend it would be without difficulty but, bluntly, I don't see any country in Europe that won't be facing difficulties soon."
The second and third quotes are undoubtedly me. But would I suggest that Scotland should ‘take on the euro'? That would never happen. I would never suggest it went near it. I suspect I actually said it should join Europe. But that is something very different indeed.
All it does prove is that care is required in believing what is said in newspapers.
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Where did they misrepresent your job title?
I am Visiting Professor at City now
Don’t they check quotes?….. or is it just in “All the President’s Men” that was on the TV the other night!
I did one interview with the Express last summer which has been used numerous times now
This is the first time this aspect has come out
You lost me at ‘Daily Express’.
I think it exists to enable a section of the population to hyperventilate and that in itself may be a good thing, raising the blood flow etc.
I read the occasional article which almost always contains nothing of any consequence and rarely resembles the headline.
BUT people do read it, and it is one reason why I venture there, just to see what people are consuming.
Interesting phrase “take on the euro” – adopt or confront?
“‘take on the euro’? That would never happen. I would never suggest it went near it. I suspect I actually said it should join Europe. But that is something very different indeed”
This has always been the attitude of many British Remainers. They wanted to be in the European Union but they did not want to accept the rules. They liked to choose which they do accept and which ones they do not. This was never going to work satisfactorily. There has to be one set of rules for all members of the union.
The case for having a single currency throughout Europe is well known and widely accepted. Even the Greek people would not want to swap their euros for drachmas.
The British have always had their own interpretation of the meaning of the word union. This has led to the unhappy divorce we now have.
The goals of the European Union are:
……..establish an economic and monetary union whose currency is the euro
https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/eu-in-brief_en
If Britain had chosen to adopt the euro along with France and Germany they would be in a far happier position now. Perhaps, even still a happy member of the EU.
It’s the Daily Express Richard, what do you expect? Truth, intelligence, logic? It’s an even bigger load of dishonest right wing rubbish than the Mail.
Less visible, being on steam radio, the discussion of GDP on this episode of “More or Less” on Radio 4 may be of interest – https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000rccm
I’d appreciate your comments on what they say about how the UK treats public service contributions to GDP, primarily health and education. They say that most other nations only include the labour costs of such activities in GDP, whereas the UK includes “healthcare output” and “education output”. It is therefore concluded that it’s unfair to compare the UK’s fall in GDP with other countries during the pandemic. A fairer conclusion might be that it’s technically incorrect to make such comparisons.
Anyway, I’m more interested in the analysis than the conclusion. A brief look at a relevant ONS report confirms what “More or Less” say, e.g. “The fall in healthcare output reflects the reductions in the number of GP appointments, accident and emergency admissions, non-emergency surgeries and outpatient activities, and the cancellation of all but emergency dental and ophthalmic treatment, as discussed in a previous publication.” It seems to be treated essentially as a productivity issue –
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/labourproductivity/articles/ukproductivityintroduction/apriltojune2020
So the necessary rise in healthcare output related to the pandemic is not counted as valuable, despite the fact that healthcare staff are working much harder (more productively?) than in normal times. This seems odd, especially when they recognise many other much less desirable activities (e.g. prostitution?) as making a positive contribution to GDP.
I have a paper still to come on ONS failings
This was one of their many. I think the ONS did overstate the downside here
But don’t doubt that overall the hit to GDO was massive, even if the ONS is pretty poor at this stuff, and I think it is
As far as I can recall that the adoption of the Euro by Scotland has never been you position.
You’ve advocated a genuine Scottish ‘poond’ or whatever they end up calling it since I ‘ve been aware of you.
Hello Richard
Will you be seeking a published clarification by the Express?
The current misrepresentation will be used in argument, and presented as fact, simply because ‘it was in the Express’. – ‘he must have said it then’. ‘It must be what he believes’.
No
Does anyone read the Express online?
No I don’t read the Express online or otherwise.
This is the beginning of the monstering as your profile increases in my opinion.
Would it not at least be worth them admitting they had misquoted you or at least allow that you misspoke with regards the suggestion that Scotland would have to join the Euro?
I think it is a means of suggesting that independence leads to the Euro and so not worth pursuing.
WRT the Express and their economists, I think Wilson’s put down of Benn’s memo is appropriate: “I haven’t read, don’t propose to, but I disagree with it.”
It’s strange that a number of “economists” and Unionists paint Scotland as Europe’s (or even the world’s) most intractable basket case and that Independence would be the road to serfdom, sold off to the IMF, ECB, BoE, Bezos or whoever. As long as we have our own currency we’ll probably just about manage, same as Norway, Denmark, New Zealand and numerous others. You’d almost think they don’t know what they’re talking about.
🙂