Today Full Fact is launching a new petition to stop political parties using misleading tactics to gain votes. In the 2023 Full Fact report, we called out the practice of dressing up campaign materials as local newspapers and even polling cards.
Now, Full Fact wants to stop these practices and get new rules put in place. Supporters like you have already shown that taking action can achieve change.
You can help achieve change again. Click below to sign the petition:
As well as being misleading, these examples risk undermining trust in the important institutions that protect our democracy—the local press, and the electoral system itself.
Full Fact’s petition is calling on party leaders to publicly pledge they will not use deceptive campaign materials—such as leaflets made to look like local newspapers—before the announcement of the next general election.
Sign the petition to demand political parties stop using these deceptive campaign practices.
Health secretary Steve Barclay told MPs last month that there has been a 13% increase in the number of midwife placement starters since two years ago. Full Fact queried this with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) who told us that Mr Barclay was referring to the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
This is different to what Mr Barclay said as he claimed there had already been a 13% increase. We raised this with DHSC and a ministerial correction was made as a result of this.
A video on social media is being falsely shared with the claim it shows a firework exploding in the hands of a pro-Hamas protester at a rally in Turkey.
The video was actually filmed in Istanbul during celebrations for the Turkish president’s re-election on 28 May. The incident was reported at the time by Sky News Australia and their report was uploaded to YouTube at the end of May. The incident was also reported by Reuters.
A video circulating on social media falsely claims to show an Israeli woman who has escaped “Hamas militants”. While the woman is speaking Arabic, English subtitles show her relaying the horrific treatment of other women supposedly by Hamas.
However, the clip predates recent events in Israel and Gaza, and does not show an Israeli woman. The video shows an interview with an Iraqi MP, Vian Dakhil, in 2017 by an Egyptian news channel called Extra News describing the experiences of Yazidi women captured by Islamic State.
