Joseph O’Leary

Training Manager

Joe has been fact checking UK politics and policy for over a decade, having joined the team in 2011. He has delivered training in fact checking to civil servants, statisticians, journalists and businesses, both in the UK and internationally, as well as designing accredited courses in data analysis for the FE sector. Joe also enjoys teaching critical thinking in primary and secondary schools, and regularly gives talks to journalism students. He is now designing courses to help businesses and employees use data with more confidence.

25 July 2018

Economy, Business & Finance

How the jobs market for young people has changed since 2010

By Joseph O’Leary • 3 mins

Youth unemployment has fallen in the last eight years, and young people stay on in full time education more than they used to. Read

Fact checks

13 July 2018

Europe

The UK is one of the biggest contributors to the EU budget

By Joseph O’Leary • 2 mins

The UK has been the third or fourth largest contributing country to the EU budget in recent years, and of the 28 member states is one of 10 to contribute more than it gets back in receipts. Read

Fact checks

6 July 2018

Economy, Business & Finance

Is Universal Credit driving people to food banks?

By Joseph O’Leary • 5 mins

Trussell Trust research shows increases in food bank use in areas where Universal Credit has been rolled out. It’s difficult to measure the extent that one is causing the other. Read

Fact checks

29 June 2018

Economy, Business & Finance

Did Labour leave a £38 billion black hole in defence spending?

By Joseph O’Leary • 3 mins

An eight year-old claim about defence funding still hasn’t been fully substantiated. Read

Fact checks

22 June 2018

Health

The latest plans for NHS England spending outstrip both main parties’ manifesto pledges

By Joseph O’Leary • 3 mins

Neither Labour nor the Conservatives’ NHS funding pledges at the last election were as big as the government's latest announcement. The NHS is still set to get less per year than it has historically. Read

Fact checks

18 June 2018

Europe

Does the ‘Brexit dividend’ exist?

By Joseph O’Leary • 4 mins

There is no guaranteed extra money – or ‘Brexit dividend’ – as a result of the UK ceasing its contributions to the EU budget after leaving. Read

Fact checks

15 June 2018

Economy, Business & Finance

Infrastructure spending: does North Wales get its fair share?

By Joseph O’Leary • 3 mins

We don’t know exactly who in the UK gets what out of infrastructure spending. Read

Fact checks

27 April 2018

Education

You usually need to earn £18,600 a year to bring a non-EU partner to the UK

By Joseph O’Leary • 3 mins

Since 2012, £18,600 is the minimum income required to bring a non-EU partner to the UK. Read

Fact checks

20 April 2018

Immigration

The net migration target was never likely to have been met

By Joseph O’Leary • 2 mins

Governments since 2010 have set a target to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands, and this target has never been met. Read

Fact checks

18 April 2018

Crime

Knife Crime in England and Wales

By Joseph O’Leary • 4 mins

In the year to September 2017, there were just under 37,500 recorded offences involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales. Read

Analysis