Is the British economy really growing? (Part 1)

I’ve been trying to understand if the UK economy is really growing as much as the politicians and mainstream media tell us. If readers will be patient, I’d like to split this story over two days.

Firstly, I’ll look at the so-called “Brown boom” of six years from 2002 to 2007 (inclusive). Our GDP increased – there’s no doubt about that (click on chart to see more clearly)

But if we look at the figures another way – the GDP per capita (the amount of GDP generated per head of population) – a different picture emerges. Our GDP per person actually declined by about 1.9% while that of most other countries shot up (click to see more clearly)

This seems to suggest that, because of the massive level of immigration – perhaps three million or more during the Brown boom – we actually produced less per person over the six years.

This decline in GDP per person indicates two things – that many immigrants are not working and that some of those who are working are displacing British people and forcing them onto the dole. So, in general, those people who came to Britain during the boom reduced our GDP per person, rather than (as our masters like to claim) benefitting our economy. And, of course, public spending is forced up as three million immigrants need housing, schools, healthcare, policing etc.

It’s a pity Tony Blair’s “education, education, education” actually became “immigration, immigration, immigration”.

(I have found other figures which suggest that our GDP per capita did actually grow during the “Brown boom”, but that GDP per capita grew at a slower rate than GDP. So, the argument that immigration is lowering rather than increasing our economic well-being still stands)

Tomorrow, I’ll look at (and maybe tear apart) the supposed GDP growth we’ve had since the financial crash.

(I’d be grateful if people could show some support for this website by helping me reach my pathetically unambitious target of selling just one copy of GREED UNLIMITED per day)