BBC Misleads Again, Job Losses Rise and Reeves Running Out of Road
From another BBC scandal to deepening job losses and a worsening pre-Budget outlook, the numbers tell a bleak story.
This week on Stat of the Nation, the BBC came under scrutiny again — and rightly so. The bias isn’t new: we saw it during Covid, and in its exaggerated climate reporting. A fresh Newsnight clip and Trump’s threatened $5bn lawsuit only underline the issue.
Meanwhile, the jobs market weakened again, and the economic data heading into the Budget went from bad to worse.
1️⃣ BBC credibility collapses — from Covid spin to a $5bn Trump lawsuit
The BBC’s bias has been clear for some time. During Covid, it framed ICU data in a way that exaggerated the risk. And on climate, it regularly omits key facts to push the idea that climate change is responsible for almost everything.
This week brought the most serious challenge yet. Donald Trump announced a $5bn lawsuit against the BBC, directly citing Panorama and Newsnight. These are flagship programmes — the ones that are supposed to set the standard for the entire organisation.
And that’s the point: the BBC is expected to uphold higher standards than any other broadcaster, especially given its unique funding model.
But how long can a compulsory licence fee survive in a modern media world where consumers have endless choice — and where trust is no longer guaranteed?
2️⃣ A year of job losses — and rising anxiety for young workers
Since Labour took office, the number of people on payroll has fallen by 170,000 — and the latest figures confirm yet another drop. The UK now has fewer jobs than at any point since the election, and the trend has been heading in the wrong direction for more than a year.
But these aren’t just statistics on a chart. Young people are graduating into a labour market with fewer opportunities than the generation before them. Families are losing financial stability, just as living costs remain high. And a generation that once expected progress now faces shrinking prospects and growing pressure.
It’s no surprise that benefit claims citing anxiety among young adults are climbing. Economic insecurity is one of the biggest triggers — and right now it’s everywhere.
In just the past two months alone, a further 64,000 jobs have gone. And the declines span the regions, showing this is not a localised blip but a nationwide weakening in the labour market.
Job losses aren’t only an economic warning sign — they’re a social one, signalling the future we are offering the next generation.
3️⃣ Reeves’ economic strategy is unravelling — and the Budget will bring more taxes
The Treasury could not have faced a worse set of figures heading into a Budget. Growth has slipped back into negative territory. Borrowing is rising faster than anyone expected. Business investment is weakening. And debt-interest payments continue to tighten the squeeze on every department.
The scale of the problem is now clear: Rachel Reeves has borrowed £194 billion — £92 billion more than was forecast before the election. That gap isn’t a rounding error. It’s a sign that her entire economic strategy is veering off course.
At a moment like this, most governments would rethink their approach. Instead, all the indications point towards more taxes — the worst possible response when the economy is already stalling.
Britain doesn’t just need a Budget. It needs a strategy. And right now, it has neither — just rising borrowing, weaker growth and a Chancellor running out of road.
4️⃣ Oxford attack — a catastrophic failure of border control
This week exposed yet another catastrophic failure in Britain’s asylum system. A small-boat migrant with 11 previous convictions in Germany was jailed for raping a 15-year-old girl in Oxford.
Her mother asked the only question any parent would ask: “Why was he in this country?”
But the deeper question is unavoidable: Why is the UK Government — using taxpayers’ money — housing adult men whose backgrounds it doesn’t even know, only for some to go on to sexually abuse women and children?
This is not a paperwork issue. It is a system designed to transfer risk from the state to the public, with the consequences falling on the most vulnerable.
If the Government is serious about stopping this, it cannot keep releasing unknown adult men into local communities. The only credible solution is simple: move arrivals to a safe third country until identity and background checks are complete. That removes the pull factor, protects the public, and stops tragedies like this long before they happen.
5️⃣ Mike Graham — starting a new chapter with an army of loyal listeners
Many of you first came across my work through Mike Graham, and the legend himself is now going independent after being let go by TalkTV. In truth, most people watched Mike on YouTube anyway, so now you can get him direct, with no adverts, more freedom, and more content.
And I’m looking forward to continuing the honest, hard-hitting debates we’ve had for years.
The Independent Republic of Mike Graham was an institution — even more so than his recent Morning Glory run. Mike kept countless people sane through the dark days of the Covid pandemic, cutting through the noise when few others dared. That’s why his audience is so loyal, and why this next chapter will be even bigger.
So get over to his Substack, sign up, and get ready — he launches properly in a few weeks, and it’s going to be huge.
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✍️ Jamie Jenkins
Stats Jamie | Stats, Facts & Opinions
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