August Graham
Politics
Fact check: Pensioners paid £19.5 billion in income tax in year ending 2022
The proportion of those aged 65 or over paying income tax was 62% in the year ending March 2023.
4 Jun 2024
Politics
Fact check: Tory claims over Labour tax plans are based on policy assumptions
The £2,000 suggested is based on figures produced by the Conservative Party which the Labour Party has disputed.
4 Jun 2024
Politics4 Jun 2024
Election fact check: Doctored audio added to clip of Wes Streeting
Mr Streeting did not insult fellow Labour parliamentary candidate Diane Abbott during an appearance on the BBC.
Politics
Fact check: Video of Rishi Sunak has been manipulated
The original video included a blank flipchart sheet, which was intended to show a lack of ‘Labour’s policy’ but was filled in by someone else.
3 Jun 2024
Politics
Fact check: Fake screenshot claimed to show Labour candidate’s post
There is no evidence for a post by a new Labour candidate, while both he and the potential creator of the screenshot have said it is fake.
31 May 2024
Politics
Fact check: Former defence minister voiced support for national service plan
Ben Wallace said national service is ‘perfectly normal in most of Northern Europe. Young people are better for it’.
30 May 2024
Politics
Fact check: Pensioner poverty dropped under the last Labour government
The number of married pensioners living in poverty fell from 22% in 2005, when Labour last won a general election, to 14% in 2010.
29 May 2024
Politics
Fact check: Ministers have plans to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2030
If GDP forecasts are correct, that would mean spending £87.1 billion a year on defence.
29 May 2024
Politics
Fact check: Both Tory and Labour net zero grid plans need more than £100bn extra
The Labour plans will need £116 billion in additional public and private investment, while the Conservative proposal will require £104.6 billion.
29 May 2024
Politics
Fact check: Rachel Reeves worked for the Bank of England for six years
During her stint with the Bank, Ms Reeves spent some time on secondment to the British Embassy in Washington.
29 May 2024
Politics
Fact check: An image of Rishi Sunak in front of a Morrisons logo was altered
The Prime Minister hosted Morrisons during a farm to fork summit on May 14.
28 May 2024
Politics
Fact check: Immigration was six times higher in 1964-2010 than past two years
Around 14.6 million people migrated to the UK between 1964 and 2010, compared with just under 2.5 million in 2022 and 2023.
28 May 2024
Politics
Fact check: Seven in eight saw their state pension increase by less than £900
Around 1.5 million out of 12.6 million pensioners saw their state pensions rise by £900 per year in April, others received a smaller increase.
24 May 2024
Politics
Fact check: Firm founded by Rishi Sunak’s father-in-law made 2015 acquisition
The founder of the takeover target was an Israeli entrepreneur.
24 May 2024
Politics
Fact check: UK quarterly GDP outpaced the US, but annually it fell behind
In the first three months of 2024 the UK economy grew 0.6% quarter-on-quarter, but only 0.2% year-on-year.
24 May 2024
Politics
Fact check: The last Labour government narrowly missed interim child poverty targets
Labour set a goal to eradicate child poverty by 2020, but missed two interim targets.
21 May 2024
Politics
Fact check: New Yorker article about Lucy Letby is not available in the UK for legal reasons
The magazine said it was following ‘a court order’ when it limited access to an article about the convicted murderer in the UK.
20 May 2024
Politics
Fact check: Government sex education lesson restrictions have some flexibility for teachers
The proposed guidelines say students should not be taught about periods before year 4, but some girls might have started menstruating sooner.
20 May 2024
Politics
A photograph of Russia’s new defence minister was edited
The original image showed English actor Jason Isaacs playing Field Marshal Zhukov in the 2017 movie The Death Of Stalin.
15 May 2024
Politics13 May 2024
Humza Yousaf’s first minister pension will be £2,600 per year when he retires
Claims that the former SNP leader is set to be paid more than £50,000 per year are incorrect.
Politics
London Mayor Sadiq Khan shook rival Susan Hall’s hand after election result
Labour’s victorious mayoral candidate appeared at first not to see the Conservative candidate’s outstretched hand, before shaking it.
10 May 2024