The World Economic Forum is not cancelling Christmas
A video claims that the WEF has launched an initiative to stop Christmas traditions—but no such initiative exists. Read
Fact checks
Leo Benedictus
Journalist
Leo joined Full Fact in January 2020. For 15 years, he worked freelance as a feature writer for the Guardian, Prospect, the New Scientist and others, making maps of immigration, explaining citizens’ assemblies and debunking superfoods. He has a fondness for science and statistics. He also writes novels.
Is the NHS Pay Review Body ‘independent’?
With many NHS workers on strike, some unions have challenged the independence of its pay review body. We take a look at the facts behind some of the main claims. Read
Analysis
Economy, Business & Finance
Unemployment in the UK is currently low by historic standards
The shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves claimed that Britain has “high unemployment” after 12 years of Conservative government. But by historic standards, the unemployment rate is currently very low. Read
Fact checks
Health
Labour’s analysis on five million ‘denied’ GP appointments fact checked
This widely reported figure is an estimate, based on several assumptions that may not be right. Read
Fact checks
Economy, Business & Finance
Survey didn't find one in ten young people plan ‘never’ to work
The figure used by Rod Liddle in a Sun column only describes the percentage of those who are already not working. The true proportion is more like one in 25. Read
Fact checks
Health
Steve Barclay’s figure for new nurses’ pay includes extra earnings
The health secretary said that a new nurse will typically earn over £31,000 a year on current pay. This is an estimate that includes extra earnings such as overtime. Basic pay for a new nurse is aroun Read
Fact checks
Health
How much of the rise in ‘economic inactivity’ is due to long Covid?
A BBC news bulletin claimed a recent rise in the number of people who are neither working nor looking for work is “largely because of long Covid”. But there are reasons to believe much of the rise is Read
Fact checks
Health
Facebook post misinterprets BBC report on a ‘spike’ in neonatal deaths
The BBC article said that “two spikes” in the neonatal death rate had occurred in Scotland—not that spike proteins had been found in babies’ bodies. Read
Fact checks
No evidence for Irish passport numbers among MPs and peers
Widely shared figures about the number of UK parliamentarians with Irish passports appear to have no source. Read
Fact checks
Economy, Business & Finance
How the media misreported the '£2,500 energy bill cap'
Our analysis using Full Fact’s AI media-monitoring software has found more than 100 potentially misleading claims about the government’s Energy Price Guarantee—which is a cap on prices, not bills. Read
Analysis
