Complaint
A listener complained it was inaccurate and misleading for one of the contributors, Professor Danny Dorling, to say 鈥渢he UK is one of the richest large countries in the world鈥. The ECU assessed whether the statement met the 麻豆社 guidelines on accuracy.
Outcome
This edition of the programme considered the future of economic growth.聽 Professor Dorling explained there had been a slowdown in the rate of growth, as measured by GDP, since the Second World War but argued the UK had reached a level, as 鈥渙ne of the richest large countries in the world鈥, where we have 鈥渆nough of physical products and capability and productivity to get what everybody needs鈥. The problem, he suggested, was that it was badly distributed, with the UK having the highest income inequality in Europe. 聽Regardless of what measurement Professor Dorling had in mind when he described the UK as 鈥渙ne of the richest large countries鈥, in the ECU鈥檚 view聽 listeners would have understood that he believed the UK needed to distribute its existing resources more effectively rather than strive for further economic growth.聽 In the context of a debate about economic growth listeners would therefore not have been misled.
Not Upheld