Revenge of the nerds

The Office for National Statistics released a report saying that "one in nine British residents was born abroad." Big deal, you may think, either it's true or it isn't, and to me that figure seems about right. Whether we draw any further conclusions from this nugget, and what those conclusions may be are a whole 'nother topic and not something on which the ONS opines.

However, Immigration Minister Phil Woolas has got himself all hot and bothered. Showing a mastery of Double-Think, "... Mr Woolas said he tried to block the release of the figures, which he claims are "neither new nor informative". He says they resulted in the government being accused of "whipping up anti-foreign sentiment when it is the independent ONS who are playing politics"."

So who's playing politics here? The politicians or the ONS? Are they independent or not? And if they are, why did he try and prevent the figures being published, which by his own admission are not "new" although I'd hotly dispute his assertion that they are not "informative"? I'm a big fan of the ONS as it happens, even though their website's search function is rubbish - it's easier finding stuff on their website by going via Google.

So what's behind the ONS' newfound uppitiness .... ah, I see.