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Sage's avatar

Andrew Bridgen (more power to him!) has finally managed to get a debate on Trends in Excess Deaths scheduled for 20 Oct in House of Commons. I've told my MP I'd like him to be there, and cc'd in the local Party Chair. If more people do that there may actually be more than the usual pitiful scant handful that usually attend such debates!

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Awkward Git's avatar

Good idea - may do that when I get 5mins but my MP is in a safe Tory seta and who just follows the official party line and gives no meaningful answer but at eaest he now forwards my letters to the relevant Ministers and sends back their replies..

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Sage's avatar

Same with mine, sadly, and I don't even get an auto-response back now so I think he's blocked me but I keep *trying* to maintain a belief in democracy! :)

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cl's avatar

is the 5 year average going to wipe out any meaningful comparisons, and should we use a 5 year " pre pandemic" average as well?

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Awkward Git's avatar

The rolling 5 year average will increase year on year but as long as more and more people die in ever increasing numbers then it will keep increasing. It will take 5 years of stable death rates to stabilise and hopefully the ONS won't memory hole any numbers previous to then.

The ONS supplied me this in response to a FOI about the actual 5 year averages:

https://awkwardgit.substack.com/p/ons-5-year-average-deaths-numbers

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cl's avatar

thanks for the explanation and link 🙏

I suppose it remains to be seen if they stabilise at the higher ("pandemic" onwards) excess level, or ever return to "fewer than expected" levels... (only in comparison with the new "norms" tho).

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