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Saif Gaddafi: Genius or fraud?
Colonel Gaddafi’s son Saif has called many things – often by fellow Libyans who want to kill him. But is he a fraud? FactCheck examines allegations of plagiarism surrounding the former LSE student’s PhD thesis.
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Councils in a Pickle over cuts?
Eric Pickles targets council waste, claiming local authorities can protect front line services by slashing senior salaries and sharing back-office services. Cathy Newman digs in.
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Update: Yes to AV, at what cost?
The claim “I don’t expect to see any increase in the cost of holding a general election if the British people vote yes.” Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, in a letter from his private office leaked to The Independent on Sunday.
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The AV campaign gets dirty
The claim: “Should AV pass, the cost of electronic vote counting necessitated by AV will be £130 million”
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Scaremongering over NHS job cuts?
The claim “More than 50,000 NHS staff posts are set for the axe” The TUC flags research by False Economy, February 23, 2011
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What’s the bottom line on NHS job cuts?
Cathy Newman checks out the numbers on NHS doctors and managers.
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Crunching Cameron’s jobless youth stats
The claim “The level of youth unemployment actually went up by 40 per cent under the last government” David Cameron MP, Prime Minister’s Questions, February 16, 2011
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Does PFI offer the taxpayer value for money?
The claim “We are using PFI to ensure value for money and that the public interest and public services are properly protected when we increase public investment.” Gordon Brown, The Times, September 26, 2002
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Is Cameron sure about that Sure Start budget?
The claim “On Sure Start, the budget is going from £2,212m to £2,297m – that budget is going UP, that is what’s happening” David Cameron MP, Prime Minister’s Questions, February 9, 2011
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Cooper cuts a thin blue line
The claim “Yvette Cooper should know that Alan Johnson refused to guarantee police numbers, and (Ed) Balls admitted he would cut force budgets by over £1bn a year” Policing Minister Nick Herbert MP, Radio 4’s World this Weekend
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Ed Miliband’s share of national debt was how much?
The claim “When Ed Miliband was born, his share of the national debt was under £600” The background Ed Miliband said in a speech on inter generational fairness today that the ‘British promise’ – his somewhat clunky version of the American Dream – is under threat.
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Cameron set to break promise on NHS cuts
“There is no cut in the National Health Service – we’re actually putting £10.6bn extra into the NHS during this parliament.” David Cameron MP, Prime Minister’s Questions, 2 February 2011
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Housing benefits row can’t afford slip ups
“It is also important we end the sensationalist myths about the local housing allowance reforms in 2011…In London around 750,000 private rental homes will still be affordable.” Lord Freud, minister for welfare reform, South London Press, January 11, 2011.
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Miliband cutting economic corners?
The claim “He is going too far and too fast with deficit reduction and that is what is inhibiting growth in this country” Ed Miliband, Labour leader, Prime Minister’s Questions, 26 January 2011
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Are we as unhealthy as the Victorians?
The claim “Health inequalities in 21st century Britain are as wide as they were in Victorian times” Prime Minister David Cameron, speech on modern public service, January 17, 2011