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Politics

When was the ‘truth’ era?

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THAT was one of the questions posed at a recent panel discussion hosted by the Royal Statistical Society to consider whether we really are in a post-truth world of ‘alternative facts’, and if so what we can do about it.

These terms have become commonplace as people try to make sense of a global political landscape that looks and feels different to what many would have predicted a year ago. So it was refreshing to hear a more critical take on the concepts such as post-truth, fake news and echo-chambers.

That isn’t to say that the panellists thought all is well. It was accepted that misinformation, ‘fake news’, and a lack of regard for evidence in some quarters are issues worthy of addressing, and that it’s vital for the health of our democracy that we do so. What’s more, Helen Margetts (Oxford Internet Institute) presented a compelling case that the Internet and social media may be exacerbating the problem.

“Is anything particularly new about the challenges we face in defending the importance of facts and evidence?”

What was questioned was the notion that there is anything particularly new about the challenges we face in defending the importance of facts and evidence.

Or, to restate the earlier question – against what previous golden age of ‘truth’ are we implicitly comparing our modern era to when we use the phrase ‘post-truth’?

This sense of perspective is welcome. William Davies’ recent piece in the Guardian, which has generated much discussion in the statistical world, painted a gloomy picture of the supposedly waning power of statistics. But as the National Statistician pointed out in response, our supposedly ‘post-truth’ era is also characterised by both a yearning for more trustworthy analysis to make sense of the world and an abundance of data out there to help inform it, if only we can tap into and make sense of it.

And that is central to our mission here at the Office for National Statistics. We are constantly striving to produce better statistics to support better decisions. We have ambitious plans to harness big data and exploit its potential to help us understand the modern world. And we are always looking to better understand current and future user needs and respond to them where we can.

“We will continue to champion the value of evidence and statistics, even in our supposedly post-truth world.”

It’s not just about producing better statistics, however. There are challenges in explaining to a wide audience what the evidence says about any given issue when the matter at hand is complex, the evidence is not always clear cut, and the methodological limitations of statistics need to be made clear in the name of transparency.

The difficulty with that, as panellist James Bell from Buzzfeed explained, is that when it comes to dealing with a mass audience and a controversial issue, a simple and clear message usually beats a complex one.

Those of us working in the field of official statistics always need to challenge ourselves to communicate better and in a way that is clear and accessible. But we cannot get away from the fact that by necessity we deal in complexity and nuance, which can make it tricky to get our message across where others may be peddling a simpler line and in a louder voice.

The answer, as argued by Full Fact’s Will Moy, lies in recognising that the ONS and UK Statistics Authority, along with other bodies such as new Office for Statistics Regulation, are part of a bigger picture including civil society groups, media outlets, businesses and ordinary citizens. Working together is crucial to help people make sense of the world around them, to continue to build the case for evidence, and to challenge those who wilfully misuse or disregard it.

That’s why, for example, the UK Statistics Authority is partnering with Full Fact, the House of Commons Library and the Economic and Social Research Council on the ‘Need to Know’ project. And it’s also why the work done by organisations such as the Royal Statistical Society to improve statistical literacy is so valuable, so we can all understand the importance of evidence and challenge its misuse.

Responding to Mr Davies’ Guardian piece, the National Statistician argued that “this is the moment when we can make our greatest contribution to society” by seizing the opportunities open to us to produce the statistics that Britain needs to answer the big questions of the day. That’s something we certainly intend to do. And working with others, we will continue to champion the value of evidence and statistics, even in our supposedly post-truth world.

News

New social services out of hours emergency contact goes live soon

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THERE is now a new number to contact social services in emergency situations outside normal work hours with a bilingual call centre on hand to support residents.

Calls to the Emergency Duty Team will be answered out of hours by Galw Gofal, a compassionate, supportive and professional service designed to assist residents during evenings, weekends and Bank holidays.

The team is trained to handle a wide range of urgent social care calls.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Emergency Duty Team are here to help people with personal, family or accommodation problems which may have reached a crisis point and cannot wait until the next working day.

This can include difficulties with children and young people, concern about a child outside your family, acute mental health problems, older or people with a disability at risk and emergency housing advice.

The Galw Gofal team will liaise with the emergency duty team and arrange contact with an experienced social worker.

It’s hard to think straight when there’s a crisis, and many callers can be helped by advice given over the phone. If you already have a social worker, the team can offer advice to help you until you can make new plans with your social worker, and can send them a message to let them know what has happened. If you do not have a social worker, a referral can be made to your local daytime social work team if this would help your situation.

The new out of hours emergency contact number – 0300 123 5519 – goes live on February 19, 2025.

Anyone with concerns or issues during working hours can contact Pembrokeshire County Council on 01437 764551.

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News

Councillor faces vote on job with Henry Tufnell MP

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A SENIOR member of Pembrokeshire County Council will be able to speak and vote for himself in a forthcoming call for him not to be allowed to work for the local MP.

In a Notice of Motion submitted to the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, Independent Group leader Cllr Huw Murphy appeared to target deputy leader of the Labour Group and Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies Cllr Joshua Beynon, the man who will present the county council’s budget.

In the registration of interests for the eight members of Leader Cllr Jon Harvey’s Cabinet, only Cllr Beynon lists a politician as an employer, in his case newly-elected Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell.

Cllr Murphy’s motion said: “While it is acceptable for Cabinet members to hold other employments, no serving county councillor should hold a Cabinet position within Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) while simultaneously being employed by a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of the Senedd (MS).

“Cabinet members hold executive responsibilities, and such dual roles risk potential conflicts of interest, particularly if Cabinet decisions conflict with the policies of their employer, often a political party. This concern is heightened in a council where most members are Independents.”

Cllr Murphy’s notice of motion was heard at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, where it was agreed the matter be referred to a future Constitutional Review Committee.

At Pembrokeshire County Council’s standards committee meeting of February 13, Cllr Beynon sought a dispensation to both vote and speak on the notice of motion, describing it as “a politically motivated effort to target my lawful employment as a Cabinet Member and a part-time parliamentary employee”.

“The assertion that such roles inherently create a conflict of interest is unfounded. My professional obligations are entirely distinct, and I have taken all necessary steps to ensure that no conflicts arise.”

He added: “To adopt such a motion would not only contravene established principles of fairness and freedom but also set a dangerous precedent of overreach by the council.”

At the February 13 meeting, chair Nick Watt said he had been a member of the committee since 2018 and had “never seen anything like this before”.

Cllr David Edwards – who moved Cllr Beynon be allowed to vote and speak on the matter – expressed his concerns: “I’m a bit concerned that what we seem to be addressing is an application by a member to be able to speak as a member of the county council just because he has a particular form of employment.”

He added: “I’m at a loss to see really why Cllr Beynon should need a dispensation to be able to work as a normal member. The motion, what it seeks to do is fetter the council leader as to his choice of who he has in his Cabinet; I find that a little bit difficult to get my head around as well.

“Having considered everything, I’m quite happy to support Cllr Beynon in what he’s seeking to do.”

He finished: “I find it difficult to see any reason to curtail a member’s rights to be able to speak on who should be appointed to any particular role in the authority.”

A voice of concern was raised by Moira Saunders, who said her only concern was “the public’s idea of what is happening,” adding there could be “a public worry about him [Cllr Beynon] voting and speaking on his own behalf”.

Members backed the proposal by five votes to one, with two abstentions.

Cllr Beynon will now be allowed to vote and speak on matters connected with this notice of motion.

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Ceredigion farmer’s plea to build bungalow on his own land

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A CEREDIGION farmer’s call to convert a derelict building last occupied in the 1930s as a downsizing home on land he has farmed all his life has been put on hold while planners visit the site.

At the February meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s development management committee, members were recommended to refuse an application by Mr and Mrs I and A Evans, of Fronlwyd, Llangrannog to erect a dwelling, agricultural shed and associated works on the site of the nearby abandoned dwelling at Fronlwyd/Pen-yr-Allt, just over a mile from Llangrannog, which was last occupied in 1936.

It was recommended for refusal on grounds including it was “unjustified new housing in open countryside”.

Giving an impassioned plea to be allowed to build the bungalow, Mr Evans, who warned he was “not a big fan of public speaking,” said: “I have farmed the land all my life, I live in a five-bed house, just me and the wife, we’re getting older.

“We want to build a bungalow just so we can future-proof as we get older; I don’t want to leave the land I’ve farmed all my life, I like being out in the fresh air and listening to the birds and the animals.”

He said there was more of the ruined building present when he was a child, the building declining after “years of not being looked after”.

He told members he wanted the site to go back to “what I remember as a kid”, adding: “In the olden days they knew how to build houses, it’s in a little dip and only visible from one direction, it’s ideally situated.

“I would look after the land and me and my wife in our old age; I just want to satay there, that’s where I’ve lived all my life, and I want to stay there.”

A site inspection panel visit before any decision was made was proposed by Cllr Gareth Lloyd, with Cllr Maldwyn Lewis saying: “In my mind heritage is important for Ceredigion, the backbone of the fabric of the community.”

Members unanimously backed a site inspection panel viewing of the application, the application returning to a future meeting.

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