FOR anyone struggling through the cost-of-living crisis worsened and worsened by successive Tory governments, one of the party’s more confused MPs has some great news: the economy has actually grown “by 60 per cent”.
Angela Richardson, the Tory MP for Guildford, made the baffling claim during an appearance on the BBC’s Politics Live on Wednesday.
The discussion had focused on Rishi Sunak’s reported plans to slash the UK’s climate pledges, rowing back on just about everything – despite what he’d promised his own daughters.
Carla Denyer, the co-leader of the Greens in England and Wales, had told the BBC show: “The UK was already not doing enough on climate change and this is the Prime Minister making a dangerous and desperate U-turn, throwing the UK economy, as we’ve heard from businesses, the wellbeing of our citizens, and the future liveability of our planet out the window.”
“For what?” she added. “To chase a few votes from climate doubters.”
Tory MP here claiming the Conservatives have grown the economy by 60% since 2010 pic.twitter.com/qFwq7uxIrV
— Ava-Santina (@AvaSantina) September 20, 2023
Asked to respond, Richardson made some pretty stunning claims.
The Tory MP said: “We have cut emissions in this country since 2010 by 40%. We’ve cut them further than any other G7 nation.
“We’ve done that at the same time as growing the economy by 60%.”
The news that the UK economy has grown by 60% in the last 13 years will come as a shock to everyone – not least the Office for National Statistics.
According to the analysts at the ONS, it has in fact grown by an average of 2.7% every year since 2010 – excluding the outlier of 2020, when the impact of the Covid pandemic saw it shrink by 11%.
If you include that outlier year, the UK economy has grown an average of 1.6% each year since 2010. Even adding all that together, you’re still some way off Richardson’s bizarre assertion.
It was far from her only one. The Conservative also saw fit to say that "most emissions come out of people's homes and buildings that aren't insulated correctly".
Did the BBC host address or correct the Tory MP's wild claims?
What do you think?
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel