Govt knife crime spate revealed
By politics.co.uk staff
The chain of emails detailing Department of Health (DoH), Office of National Statistics (ONS) and Downing Street officials’ disagreements over the release of knife crime data has been made public.
The series of emails, released by the Public Administration select committee shows DoH and ONS officials opposing releasing the publication of the statistics, which would have appeared misleading.
“What emerges from this is a blatant disregard for the rules in Number 10 and a determination to publish good news for the prime minister come what may,” said shadow home secretary Chris Grayling.
“This is a government that has completely abandoned principles and is clearly now only concerned with its own political interests.”
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne agreed.
“Gordon Brown promised an end to spin but this shows he is just as obsessed by it as his predecessor,” he said.
“Statistics must be made completely independent from government to stop this kind of sorry affair occurring again in the future.”
