Labour MPs incapable of basic maths

[SkippyYourFriendEverTrue]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19801666

22 out of 41 Conservative MPs were able to give the probability of two successive heads when tossing a coin twice, but only 10 of 44 Labour MPs.

This provides statistically significant evidence of why the Labour party messed up the economy so badly.

'Labour MPs incapable of basic maths'

I'd always thought that this might be the case, but up until now I didn't have any statistical evidence to back it up. Thank you.

But statistically, I'll bet the odds on the Conservative MP's being tossers are slightly higher than for Labour MP's...

Not according to the public in the general election

Course it does. You are absolutely right. A sample of current MPs (some of whom were not even elected during the last government) not being able to calculate a fairly simple probability question is where it all went wrong. Never mind the global banking crisis of the fact that of those MPs who were around in the last Labour government a tiny minority worked on economic policy and we don't know if any of those making the decisions even answered the survey.

Why don't we calculate the probability of this being an unreliable indicator of economic ability? Seems more constructive than harking back over the "who is to blame" argument. Because do you know what? It doesn't matter whose fault it is. What matters is that we get our economy fixed without sacrificing more than we can afford to lose.

Actually it would be more accurate to say "majority of MPs surveyed were unable to answer simple probability question and proportionately more Labour MPs were incorrect than Conservative MPs on this particular question".

Also as anyone who has had even the most rudimentary training in research methods knows: correlation does not necessarily mean causation.

They didn't get a majority, Claig, or did that pass you by?

They got more votes than Labour, and that is a fact that cannot be changed by Labour spin doctors

'in the last Labour government a tiny minority worked on economic policy and we don't know if any of those making the decisions even answered the survey.'

I doubt they did, otherwise the scores would have been significantly lower

What a weird thing to be triumphalist over.

Wow! Accountancy qualifications suddenly got so much easier! No need for all those hard exams - let's just toss a coin!

CelineMcBean

Actually it would be more accurate to say "majority of MPs surveyed were unable to answer simple probability question and proportionately more Labour MPs were incorrect than Conservative MPs on this particular question".

Also as anyone who has had even the most rudimentary training in research methods knows: correlation does not necessarily mean causation.

But this is a corroboration for all of those who think that lefties can't add up. After all, every Labour government which has ever been in power has left the economy in ruins.

'let's just toss a coin'

Unfortunately that appears to be what New Labour did, together with light touch regulation

"22 out of 41 Conservative MPs were able to give the probability of two successive heads when tossing a coin twice, but only 10 of 44 Labour MPs."

given the high number of both parties that are public school educated, i wonder what the hell they're teaching them at those schools !?

:)

1/2 * 1/2 = 1/4

'given the high number of both parties that are public school educated'

probably rugger, not the Magna Carta

Fwiw I got the right answer to the question but only because for a bit of fun I did a GCSE maths course about 5 years ago.

I also passed my O level back in the early 80s and I do not recall ever being asked to calculate Probabilities. Those who were unable to get the right answer may never have encountered that type of question because it wasn't on the syllabus then. Even back in those days, teachers would teach to the test.

it is primary maths.

Greetby Hill infants & juniors - best school in the world :)

This is a bit desperate...

'This is a bit desperate...'

A bit desperate? It's an absolute scandal!

So labour are about half as good at maths as the Tories, but fundamentally, neither party can exactly boast about maths genius.

However, I thought Labour were very good at maths, after all, they knew they had spent exactly ALL the money on fucked up crap before they left office.

Very true

It doesn't surprise me. Labour is still left of the Tories and socialists rarely worry about things like mathematics.

As long as their cause is noble and just then it's just a case of waving the legislative wand and creating the right laws to ensure pesky things like mathematics don't stop the poor from being fed or the ill from being cured.

For me I'm not overly bothered by the fact less Labour MP's can calculate basic maths than Conservatives. Neither groups have exactly shone in the above test. But for me the klaxon was sounded when Gordon Brown announced that boom/bust was over. And it sounds again now with Miliband when their 'policies' are essentially cut VAT (which lets be fair did bugger all last time) and tax the bankers. There's no mention of the cuts they will NEED to make if/when Labour win.

How can you trust a politician who only tells you the bits you want to hear but not the stuff you don't?