Leo Benedictus

London

Fact Checker at Full Fact

Great writer. Terrible writer. Great writer. Terrible writer.

Articles

John Lewis pushchair offer is not genuine – Full Fact

3 weeks ago | fullfact.org | Leo Benedictus

Several posts on Facebook claim that John Lewis is offering Bugaboo pushchairs for £2 or £3 to people who complete a short questionnaire. This is not true. John Lewis confirmed to Full Fact that it is not a legitimate offer from the company. A spokesperson said that customers could find legitimate offers on the company’s official channels, including its website and app.
Telegraph overstates resident doctors’ pay demands – Full Fact

3 weeks ago | fullfact.org | Leo Benedictus

What was claimed Resident doctors are asking for an almost 30% pay rise on top of the 5.4% rise awarded this year. Our verdict Incorrect. The BMA has asked for a rise of 29% on top of last year’s pay, not this year’s. Its figures suggest this would equate to a rise of 22-23% on top of the increase announced this year. [Resident, or junior doctors] are asking for an almost 30 per cent pay rise on top of their 5.4 per cent raise this year.
Video shows Pakistani paraglider, not ‘shot down’ Indian pilot – Full Fact

1 month ago | fullfact.org | Leo Benedictus

What was claimed A video shows an Indian pilot landing by parachute after being shot down by Pakistan. Our verdict False. This video shows a recreational Pakistani paraglider several weeks before the recent India-Pakistan crisis began. A video is being shared on Facebook with the incorrect claim that it shows an Indian pilot who has been shot down by Pakistan. It actually shows a Pakistani paraglider landing normally—as the paraglider himself explained in his own video on Instagram.
New data reveals rise in NHS appointments hailed by government is smaller than last year’s increase – Full Fact

1 month ago | fullfact.org | Leo Benedictus

New data obtained by Full Fact reveals that a 3.6 million rise in the number of hospital appointments—celebrated by the government as a “massive increase”—is actually smaller than the increase achieved the year before. We’ve been investigating the government’s pledge to deliver “an extra two million appointments” for our Government Tracker, which is monitoring more than 50 Labour promises so that voters can judge how the government is doing, by its own standards.
Does the UK really have the 12th largest ‘female health gap’ in the world? – Full Fact

1 month ago | fullfact.org | Leo Benedictus

What was claimed The UK has the largest ‘female health gap’ in the G20 and the 12th largest globally. Our verdict This claim is based on very unreliable research from a male wellness company, which was deleted after Full Fact queried it. We can find no generally accepted definition of the ‘gender health gap’, but women in the UK have a longer life expectancy and healthy life expectancy than men, although they do experience a number of health disadvantages.
From Covid claims to cocaine stats: why misleading numbers matter – Full Fact

1 month ago | fullfact.org | Leo Benedictus

Today is National Numeracy Day, and at Full Fact we often see how easy it is for figures to mislead, confuse or be misunderstood—sometimes by accident, and sometimes deliberately. From viral Covid claims to misleading headlines and honest mistakes, poor numeracy can often distort how we see the truth. Towards the end of 2021, for example, as the very worst of the pandemic was passing, we began to see claims that most of the people dying of Covid had been vaccinated. This was actually true.
Another fake Amazon offer appears on Facebook – Full Fact

1 month ago | fullfact.org | Leo Benedictus

Two posts on Facebook falsely claim that Amazon is offering very cheap iPhones to people over 50 who follow a link to check their eligibility. In fact, Amazon UK has confirmed with us that the offer is not genuine. The link leads to a page that appears to be a laptop review, and which is not part of the official Amazon website. The posts feature different pictures that each appear to show a woman standing next to a large stack of packaged iPhones.
How many schools ban mobile phones?

2 months ago | fullfact.org | Leo Benedictus

In truth, there isn’t a completely clear answer to the question of how many schools ban phones. We do know that most secondary teachers said in a survey last year that they work in schools where pupils are not allowed to use phones at all during the day—although many of those schools allow pupils to keep the phones in their possession.
No, Pfizer CEO did not say it planned to halve the world’s population

Mar 18, 2025 | fullfact.org | Leo Benedictus

What was claimed Pfizer announced a goal to reduce the number of people in the world by 50%. Our verdict False. The company’s CEO announced a goal to reduce the number of people who could not afford their medicines by 50%. The video of him saying this was altered.
Wes Streeting overstated the number of people on the NHS waiting list under the Conservatives

Mar 12, 2025 | fullfact.org | Leo Benedictus

What was claimed There were 7.6 million people on the NHS England waiting list when Labour came into office in July. Our verdict This is not correct. There were actually about 6.4 million people on the NHS England waiting list for elective care. This amounted to about 7.6 million cases, because some people were waiting for treatment for more than one thing. What was claimed There are over seven million people on the NHS England waiting list. Our verdict This is not correct.