Our interview with shadow chancellor John McDonnell last week said his economic plans included £500bn in public spending. The correct figure is £250bn (“The Tories have got no mission, no objectives”, News, page 10).
A change to a headline in later editions incorrectly described Sir Martin Donnelly, former permanent secretary in the Department for International Trade, as a “former aide” (“Fox’s former aide says Brexit will inevitably make us poorer”, News, last week, page 6). A permanent secretary is a senior civil servant, not a political appointee.
Howard Blake, not David Bowie, wrote the music for the 1982 animation The Snowman; Bowie did, however, make an introduction to the film in 1984 (“Go on, have some salt on your chips”, Opinion, last week, page 15).
It might not have been clear that Snapshots (New Review, last week, page 5) was dealing in myths and mostly outdated US state regulations when presenting photographs from the book I Fought the Law. It is no longer forbidden to serve wine in teacups in Kansas or carry a violin in a paper bag in Utah... but be assured it is still unlawful to pass off painted sparrows as parakeets in Michigan.
Write to Stephen Pritchard, Readers’ Editor, the Observer, York Way, London N1 9GU, email observer.readers@observer.co.uk tel 0203 353 4656
