Are rail fares increasing above or below inflation?
10 January 2020 | Happy New Year | Facts and news from Full Fact
View in your browser ([link removed])
** FACTCHECK
------------------------------------------------------------
** This week in fact checks
------------------------------------------------------------
Happy New Year! Our team of fact checkers is back and ready to take on bad information in 2020.
Every week we'll keep you informed on the latest claims we check and our progress in the campaign for better public debate across the UK.
** FACT CHECK
------------------------------------------------------------
** Rail fares are increasing in price faster than other goods and services ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
The new year saw certain rail fares rise by an average of 2.7%—a figure simultaneously hailed as “below inflation” by the Rail Delivery Group and criticised as “above inflation” by the Guardian.
So, who is right? The confusing reality is that there isn’t just one measure of inflation (that’s the change in price of goods and services). Rail companies have held price increases slightly below the RPI (one measure of inflation), but this isn’t considered reliable. Better measures suggest the fares are rising faster than the price of other goods and services.
Fare measures? ([link removed])
** FACT CHECK
------------------------------------------------------------
** British media are not ignoring strikes in France ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
A viral post ([link removed]) on Facebook claims that the BBC and British media are ignoring strikes against pension changes in France. It’s incorrect.
The BBC News website has published a number of articles on this particular strike since it began on 5 December. Other British media outlets, including The Daily Mail, The Guardian and The Sun have all published articles on the strike action.
Full coverage ([link removed])
** FACT CHECK
------------------------------------------------------------
** Can’t talk during a 999 call? The police won’t always be dispatched if you dial 55 ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
A widely-shared Facebook image ([link removed]) claims that if you are unable to speak during a 999 call, dialling 55 can ensure police are sent to help you.
Dialling 55 should route your call to the police if you can’t talk during a 999 call. But they won’t necessarily send officers, and they can’t always trace calls to an exact address.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this type of claim ([link removed]) . The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) told us last year that calls from landlines can be linked to an address, but calls from mobile phones will only show a general location at the time of the call.
Phoney claim ([link removed])
** FACT CHECK
------------------------------------------------------------
** Also this week...
------------------------------------------------------------
* Not every Nando's restaurant is Halal ([link removed]) , as a post suggests
* This video does not show a real nuclear attack alert ([link removed])
* Nor does this video show an official alert siren playing in London ([link removed])
Find the latest fact checks ([link removed])
** BLOG
------------------------------------------------------------
** Fact checking the election: a secondee’s eye view ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
In last year's election, we were fortunate to be joined by a number of expert secondees who helped the team deliver a greater volume of fact checks at the most critical points in the campaign.
Alexander Newton from the Office for National Statistics reflects on three and a half weeks as an election fact checker, and the necessity of good data in crunch moments.
Inside Full Fact ([link removed])
** UPDATES
------------------------------------------------------------
** Full Fact announced as a Big Issue Changemaker of 2020 ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
This week we were delighted to be named as one of the Big Issue’s 100 Changemakers of 2020.
Our supporters and readers have been pivotal in putting us at the front line of change making. Thank you!
BECOME A FULL FACT SUPPORTER
Can you help the fight against bad information this 2020?
At the end of last year, thousands of individuals decided to make a huge difference to the work that we could do.
They chose to support independent fact checking—helping our small team publish 168 fact checks on all major parties and candidates in the run up to the election, and bringing millions of voters access to clear, reliably-sourced information. We were incredibly grateful.
But now we have a new government and Parliament. We’ll be relying on our supporters more than ever to help make sure our new leaders are held accountable for their words and promises this 2020.
As we face new challenges, can you join them in making sure the fight against bad information is stronger than ever before?
Yes - I’ll join Full Fact’s monthly supporters ([link removed])
Yes - I’ll donate £25 to independent fact checking ([link removed])
============================================================
Many thanks from the Full Fact team
** Follow us ([link removed])
** Follow us ([link removed])
** Donate ([link removed])
** Donate ([link removed])
** Like us ([link removed])
** Like us ([link removed])
** Follow us ([link removed])
** Follow us ([link removed])
You can find out how we're funded ** here ([link removed])
.
Copyright © Full Fact 2019 - All rights reserved
Our mailing address is:
2 Carlton Gardens, London, SW1Y 5AA
We use Mailchimp to send you our emails and to see which articles are most popular. ** Read our privacy policy ([link removed])
or ** Mailchimp's privacy policy ([link removed])
** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
** update subscription preferences ([link removed])
