Phillip Oppenheim to Ed Humpherson: The UK’s standing in the tech and life sectors.

Dear Sir/Madam

I would appreciate you checking a claim made frequently by government ministers and the Chancellor about Britain’s status in tech and life sciences

I attach my research which is part of a book in preparation – I think that this definitely proves that the release sent out by a government department and the claims repeated by the Chancellor for nearly a year are false

I have written to the Chancellor twice since March last year, once recorded, with no response – my local MP promised to chase twice, but so far, nothing

Many thanks

Phillip Oppenheim

Dear Sir/Madam

I have sent you an email re a claim about UK tech which I would appreciate your checking

The second issue I would appreciate your checking is below

Claim by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt: “If you look at the fundamentals of the British economy we have had our setbacks, like everyone else, but we are the fastest-growing large European country, not just since the pandemic but since Brexit and since 2010”

The Times, Jeremy Hunt: ‘Britain doesn’t need to be famous for pessimism’,September 19th, 2023, repeated frequently since

– Taking 2010 as the base, the year the Conservatives came to power, the UK’s economic growth was 21.4%, marginally ahead of Germany at 20.3%, well ahead of France at 16.7% and Italy at just 4%

– But since the 2016 Brexit referendum, the UK has grown by 7.3%, less than France at 7.8% but more than Germany at 5% and Italy at 5.2%, so Hunt is not correct.

– Britain’s growth from the pandemic to Q3 2023 was just 1.4% – better than Germany’s 0.3% but worse than France at 1.7% or Italy’sand 3.4%. So again, Hunt is incorrect – Britain has not been the fastest growing large European economy since the pandemic, despite having the worst performance during the pandemic when GDP fell by 11% compared to 9% in Italy, the next worst performer. (In fact since the pandemic, Britain’s economic growth has been the second worst in the G7 group of large economies – well below Japan (2.4%), the eurozone (3%), the EU (3.4%), the G7 as a whole at (4.7%), the OECD (6%) and the United States (7.4%))

I look forward to your response

Phillip Oppenheim