IN George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, the protagonist, Winston Smith, is charged by the totalitarian superstate in which he lives with the job of rewriting historical records so that they fit with the present narrative of the state.

Orwell knew that facts and figures matter. And that what they say can change the way we think about the world around us.

Facts help with decision-making, analysis of information, and of course, political discourse.

But in the political arena each side of an argument will want to use facts and figures to support their side of the debate. This can of course lead to the stretching of some facts. As is often said, there are lies; there are damned lies; and there are statistics.

However, we should not lose sight of the fact that statistics can be a very powerful tool in making the right decisions, as well as for analysing the outcomes of certain policies. And they can be a tool to drive changes in behaviour that may lead to better outcomes.

So, what do the facts tell us about our local area?

Recently we had the unemployment figures released for Carlisle. They showed a very positive picture with a claimant rate of 3.2 per cent, which is below the national average. In fact, over the last year the number of claimants has dropped by more than 1,100.

These statistics tell us that the job creation environment in Carlisle is strong. There are positions to be filled, and the people of our city are filling them. Speaking to employers, this is certainly the case. In fact, there still remains a number of good vacancies in the city.

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This is good news. Jobs provide a sense of purpose and stability, and employment is the surest and most effective route out of poverty.

But, of course, these statistics does not tell the whole story. The other side of the coin is wage statistics. This is clearly a key issue at the moment as we have had rising inflation which erodes the real value of money – and the therefore the standard of living to all of us.

Average year-on-year payrolled earnings growth has been 6.5 per cent in Cumbria compared to UK growth of 5.4 per cent.

Good news, but with current levels of inflation this rise will only go so far to help with day to day living. 

These are two examples of very important data which will go to influence Government decisions. We are fortunate that in this country that those who compile the information are independent.

After all, good government is impossible without good data.

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