According to the acclaimed American writer Mark Twain, there are three types of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.

It is a phrase which describes the persuasive power of statistics to bolster weak arguments, which Twain was not a fan of.

He attributed the quote to former British PM Benjamin Disraeli but there is no record of him ever actually saying it, so credit must be given to Twain himself.

More than 100 years on, Twain’s frustration with statistics he couldn’t understand is still felt by many, particularly when they come out of the mouths of politicians.

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This is particularly true when it comes to the frustration of beleaguered travellers on Scotland’s nationalised rail network of late.

When I say of late, I actually mean all the time.

This week........

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