Brexit must be winning when BBC bias gets this bad

“Brexit: Third of UK businesses considering move abroad - survey”

BBC reports IOD poll with grossly misleading headline

Yesterday the Institute of Directors released a ‘study’ which it claims shows that :-

“Nearly a third of firms looking overseas due to Brexit”

IOD

“New figures from the Institute of Directors show that nearly one in three (29%) members could be forced to shift operations abroad due to Brexit.”

The BBC dutifully reported this news with glee

BBC

What the IOD said yesterday morning

In the opening paragraphs of its press release the IOD says that

“A survey of over 1,200 company directors found that 16% had already pressed the button on relocation plans or were planning to in connection with Brexit, while a further 13% are actively considering doing so.”

The IOD has “30,000+ members”, according to its website. 16% of a sample of 1200 of these – i.e. 192 firms - are reported to be actively planning a form of relocation, which could of course be opening an office in an EU27 country, rather than relocating their entire operation.

What are the facts?

According to HMRC, there are 2.67 million UK businesses registered for VAT. HMRC also tell us that 145,000 VAT registered SMEs export solely to the EU, but that's just 5.4% of the total.

And according to the EU Commission only 7.4% of UK GDP comes from selling goods to the EU. And that's the EU Commission's figure, so it's almost certainly less.

Then we could look at ‘Stronger In’ which was the official Remain organisation during the Referendum campaign. As we reported at the time, they claimed that 200,000 businesses traded with the EU, which was just 3.6% of all UK businesses at that time.

It is therefore patently absurd to suggest that the IOD survey shows that a “Third of UK businesses considering move abroad”, as the BBC has reported today. Even the most cursory consideration from an editor should have picked this up immediately.

We asked another business organisation for their views

This story is so incredible we sought the views of a different business organisation. Tom Bohills, co-founder of the Alliance of British Entrepreneurs (ABE) and a solid supporter of our #GoWTO public campaign told us :-

“We remain deeply disappointed by the media's deeply partisan and damaging coverage of Brexit. We are equally disappointed that our Government has sought to lean on companies like Airbus and institutions like the CBI for short term political ends, thus damaging public trust.
“ABE would like to highlight the hundreds of businesses we represent who are positive and optimistic about Brexit whose opinions are never canvassed or requested. These are businesses with great entrepreneurial stories to tell but sadly they don't fit the desired narrative.
“ABE would further like to highlight alternative contrary statistics. A survey by the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply for example found that 32% of UK businesses that use EU suppliers are looking for British replacements. This was not reported. In 2018, an EEF survey stated that only 7% of the companies surveyed are planning to move production to the EU but, on the other hand, a much greater proportion (12%) are planning to move production back to the UK. Again, this went unreported.
“We can provide dozens of real world example of UK re-shoring since the Brexit vote, including household names like Clarks, Cadburys, McClaren, EE, Vodafone and BT. We ask the outlets spreading these misleading figures to clarify their headlines as soon as possible.”

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Observations

BBC bias rockets off the scale

Brexit Facts4EU.Org has previously given many examples of BBC bias against Brexit. This latest example really does rank up there with the state broadcaster’s worst excesses of Europhilia.

When BBC bias reaches levels like these seen yesterday, readers can safely assume that the Europhiles inhabiting the BBC News and Current Affairs Dept are rattled.

On one hand this is reassuring, but on the other hand we must speak out.

We have previously called for a root and branch shake out of the BBC’s News and Current Affairs Dept and now we must do so again. Nothing less than a clear-out from the top down is required.

02 Feb 2019

Sources: [ IOD | BBC | HMRC | Alliance of British Entrepreneurs ]

Something to say about this? Scroll down for reader comments

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PLEASE NOTE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT : You can write your comment under any existing comments below. After you have clicked to preview your comment, you MUST then click on the CAPTCHA system and send you comment, for it to be published. Thank you!

Reader Comments 9

1. Concerned Expat , Saturday, February 02, 2019, 07:35:

BBC is part of the 'swamp' that has needed clearing for years. They are set to get an increase in the licence fee this year too! They receive a large amount in millions from the eu every year. No wonder then everyone I know says it has been 'taken over' years ago by the socialists.
So what if the staff was reduced by whatever percentage comprises part of the 'swamp'? Less programs, less channels - more quality hopefully. Cancel the licence fee, let them sink or swim.

2. Catherine, Dollar , Saturday, February 02, 2019, 09:56:

Concerned Expat .. The Beeb has just announced the increase. To make sure that they can carry on misleading the British public. How about we all post comments on the Beeb web site whenever we can, encouraging punters to pay their licence fee to Facts4EU for the facts?
btw here's a link to a link
https://mobile.twitter.com/...

3. James K / Greater London , Saturday, February 02, 2019, 10:28:

I personally know 4 small business owners who recently moved their businesses back to the UK, and one who was going to move it out of the UK but then changed plans and decided to stay. It might be a very small and not entirely representative 'survey' but at least it's real. One third of businesses sounds absurd in any case.
Does the media really think we believe them?
Thank you to the Facts4EU team for all your factual research and for standing by us; normal people. I just renewed my monthly contribution and encourage others to please support you as well.

4. Concerned Expat , Saturday, February 02, 2019, 10:59:

Catherine Dollar, I think we are well past time of playing nicely when you see what the left get up to and get away with! The government needs to make the BBC go commercial, i.e. no more licence fee robbery.

5. Patrick F , Saturday, February 02, 2019, 11:07:

What, in the name of Gary Lineker is this arrant nonsense, spewed out by the BBC?
In the event of no deal, there will be no factual reportage?
Do they really think we are that gullible, that we would believe the BS they inflict on the licence payer, every day?
Facts4eu, please keep fighting the lies with the truth!

6. James Bertram , Saturday, February 02, 2019, 11:08:

Article sent to my MP (who supported the Spelman amendment) as an example of how they are being misled by Big Business, the Government and the Media.
Mind you, perhaps it is in their interests to be 'misled'?

7. Not4EU, London , Saturday, February 02, 2019, 15:20:

The anti-BBC seem here to have adopted a new version of maths, Abbotonomics - where numbers do not add up & can even convey a different reality e.g. 48>52, and applied it to a new theorem of economics, Wantit, where anything can be claimed as long as it fits the narrative of their masters, the EU.
This can be the only conclusion after, for three years now, EU or remoaner claims are accepted as fact without any challenge even when the claims make no logical sense or have previously shown to be false. Compare & contrast this with their treatment of those (when they're allowed to appear) presenting the positive aspects of leaving the EU.
However, by far their greatest crime is lying by omission. Failing to challenge 'facts', failing to cover any story which might contradict the narrative, here & across Europe.
The biggest 'story' of the last few days was Steve Baker's evidence to the European Scrutiny Committee. Tumbleweed across the 99% of the media. If you haven't seen it already, please watch it, even if only the first 10-15 mins. Then ask why this was not covered by our media. It's damning & it's big. https://youtu.be/g6pwZ1saqBc
The BBC is now a disgrace pushing pro-EU propaganda & people are forced to pay for it under penalty of prison. It will never recover its reputation & needs to be dismantled or become a subscription service.

8. James Bertram , Saturday, February 02, 2019, 18:49:

Not4EU - yes, fascinating Steve Baker's evidence - very much explains that Downing Street is conspiring to subvert the democratic vote.
The link you have given misses out an important first 5 minutes. Best to google: Youtube - Steve Baker MP answers #Brexit questions at European Scrutiny Committee

9. Jon, Wales , Saturday, February 02, 2019, 20:33:

Not4EU, London - Thank you for posting the link showing Steve Baker MP giving evidence before the European Scrutiny Committee on 30 January, 2019.
I recommend every reader here, and all Leave organisations and their readers watch this video in entirety. It needs passing everywhere. If anyone gets hassle from remoaners just send them the youtube URL (It's 69 minutes duration and worth every second).
I applaud Steve Baker MP for giving forthright answers.

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