International Fact-Checking Day

On April 2nd, it was International Fact-Checking Day.

Let’s celebrate by checking various claims made in British politics.

Claim: The overwhelming majority of the EU-27 have no steel industry to protect.

Rating: False

Reasoning: Andrew Bridgen MP (Conservative, North West Leicestershire) claimed that the “overwhelming majority” of EU countries have no steel industry.

Full Fact looked at crude steel production, finding seven EU member states produce more steel than the UK in 2017. The UK produces about 4% of the EU’s total crude steel.

Claim: In the 2017 General Election, Welsh Labour “missed the mood of the country fully”.

Rating: False

Reasoning: In The Guardian, Dawn Foster suggested that — by distancing itself from the national party — Welsh Labour had “missed the mood of the country fully”.

Of the 12 regions in Great Britain, Wales had the fourth highest swing from the Conservatives to Labour in the 2017 General Election. Additionally, Wales had the highest absolute increase in Labour vote share of any GB region.