Philip Hammond, tha man in charge of the nation's finances, has claimed that there are no unemployed people in the UK. That must be news to the 1.4 million people on the dole as well as all the others who are excluded from the official figures.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-4...employed-people

 

Somehow, I don't think this gaffe will be plastered all over tomorrow's front pages.

Oh god I saw that!!

 

This government is SO out of touch it is unbelirvable.

 

I wonder if they have started to believe their own Daily Mail lies?? It's all starting to feel a bit like Iran...

Yes but they are self-employed so they can't count. Much like the Tories can't count. I trust we can expect Dianne Abbot levels of coverage....

If this thread was started by vidcapper he would have already asked for Spreadsheet Phil to resign immediately.

 

What a colossal BOOB. (I quite like Phil though, at least he actually has some qualification as an economist, unlike Gidiot Osborne).

Yes but they are self-employed so they can't count. Much like the Tories can't count. I trust we can expect Dianne Abbot levels of coverage....

I'm sure it will get blanket coverage, just like when he couldn't give the cost of HR2 in the election campaign. Of course, the blanket in question will barely be big enough to cover an ant.

Philip Hammond, tha man in charge of the nation's finances, has claimed that there are no unemployed people in the UK. That must be news to the 1.4 million people on the dole as well as all the others who are excluded from the official figures.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-4...employed-people

 

Somehow, I don't think this gaffe will be plastered all over tomorrow's front pages.

 

Because no-one reads the BBC News?

Because no-one reads the BBC News?

56% of people last year. Incredibly, your own experience for once doesn't chime with the public at large.

 

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_...ion-uk-2016.pdf

56% of people last year. Incredibly, your own experience for once doesn't chime with the public at large.

 

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_...ion-uk-2016.pdf

 

The Mail also covered the story - which I wouldn't expect anyone here but me to know, of course. ;)

The Mail also covered the story - which I wouldn't expect anyone here but me to know, of course. ;)

And how did the average - in prominence, volume and tone - compare with its coverage of Dianne Abbott?

And how did the average - in prominence, volume and tone - compare with its coverage of Dianne Abbott?

 

Perhaps I should make you look at the Mail, if you want to find out... :heehee:

I bet it was one small article compared to the shedloads abot Abbott, all written with inflammatory, what a disgrace, language

I bet it was one small article compared to the shedloads abot Abbott, all written with inflammatory, what a disgrace, language

 

Fine, if you really want to know...

 

*********************************

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/articl...mmond-says.html

 

Labour condemns Chancellor over `no unemployed people´ remark

 

Chancellor Philip Hammond has been branded “out of touch” after he was forced to clarify his remark that “there are no unemployed people”.

 

Mr Hammond made the comment during a discussion on how Britain can deal with the threat to jobs from technological change.

 

He told BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show: “I remember 20 years ago we were worrying about what was going to happen to the million shorthand typists in Britain as the personal computer took over.

 

“Well, nobody has a shorthand typist these days, but where are all these unemployed people?

 

“There are no unemployed people.”

 

Mr Hammond later clarified that he was trying to make the point that technological change had not resulted in millions of people being long-term unemployed.

 

But Labour was quick to jump on the remark, claiming it revealed how the Chancellor had “lost a grip on reality”.

 

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “This Government is looking increasingly hapless.

 

“We have now got David Davis in the newspapers saying he may well walk out, Philip Hammond today has also said that there’s no unemployed people in this country.

 

“I mean how out of touch is this Chancellor, Theresa May looks completely bewildered all the time, this Government could collapse at any moment.”

 

Shadow cabinet secretary Jon Trickett added: “The Chancellor is living on another planet.

 

“If the person in charge of the country’s finances doesn’t know, or chooses to ignore, the fact that nearly 1.5 million people are unemployed, and almost a million people are on zero-hours contracts, then he is clearly losing a grip on reality.

 

“The Tories have become even more out of touch and are now so inwards looking that they have no clue of the experiences of ordinary people suffering from seven years of Tory austerity.”

 

Mr Hammond sought to clarify his remarks further on ITV’s Peston On Sunday, saying he “didn’t mean” there was no unemployment.

 

He said: “Of course I didn’t mean that (there is no unemployment).

 

“There’s 1.4 million unemployed people in this country and that’s 1.4 million too many.

 

“But we have record low levels of unemployment, it hasn’t been this low since the 1970s.

 

“But the point I was making to your former colleague Andrew Marr is that previous waves of technological change have not resulted in millions of people being long-term unemployed.

“They have been reabsorbed into the workforce.”

 

I assume this was tucked away on an inside page with no photograph.

 

They also, to the surprise of nobody, failed to mention some of his other gaffes. Like getting the cost of HS2 wrong in an election interview. Or saying, a propos the possibility if a transitional deal with the EU, that "You don't necessarily move all your furniture in [to a new house] the day you buy it", thereby suggesting he thinks most of us can move it temporarily into our second (or third) home. Then there was his conference speech in Manchester when he said "Forty years ago, here in the north east". Each of those blunders were made this year.

I assume this was tucked away on an inside page with no photograph.

 

They also, to the surprise of nobody, failed to mention some of his other gaffes.

 

There was a photo.

 

As for other gaffes, it is a Tory supporting paper, so it would be about as likely as the Guardian would be to list all Abbotts faux pas.

And it was missing its usual rhetorical flair, and missed calling him 'bungling' etc

There was a photo.

 

As for other gaffes, it is a Tory supporting paper, so it would be about as likely as the Guardian would be to list all Abbotts faux pas.

I'm willing to bet that the Guardian has listed Abbott's gaffes more than the Mail has Hammond's.

They write about Tory and UKIP gaffes, which are daily, as little as possible and through gritted teeth!

The Guardian were actually pretty harsh on Abbott. I’d say the Mirror weren’t particularly kind either

on Hammond's point about shorthand typists. There weren't a million of them even at the peak. Most of them have gone leaving higher-paid people doing their own typing and emails at higher cost (and with frequent blunders that would have been filtered out with secretaries). Most of those that left are now retired or working part-time. All of these part-time jobs make it appear that employment levels are marvellous. Truth is many many people have accepted reduced hours (and pay) to save money and avoid redundancies - I"m talking Local Gov of course - like me.

 

Let's talk about that, eh, Phil. Do your own emails and letters?

 

I also have much more time for PH than most in the cabinet, he's one of the more sane members. yes, the rest are THAT bad.....

I'm willing to bet that the Guardian has listed Abbott's gaffes more than the Mail has Hammond's.

 

Possibly because they are more numerous and/or serious? :teresa: