Jeremy Hunt’s Newsletter ‘Misleading’ Say Fact-checking Campaigners

Published on: 24 Feb, 2024
Updated on: 26 Feb, 2024

Jeremy Hunt’s newsletter

By David Reading

An article published in Jeremy Hunt’s newsletter, “You and Your Family”, has been described as “misleading” by a team of independent fact-checkers.

The article is accompanied by a Daily Mail headline referring to Labour leader Keir Starmer, but the fact-checkers say the headline has been cut, giving readers false information.

Jeremy Hunt’s newsletter

Mr Hunt is the prospective Parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives in the Godalming and Ash area and his newsletter has been delivered to homes in the constituency.

A statement in Mr Hunt’s newsletter says: “Getting our country’s debt down really matters to everyone. Except Labour, that is!”

The statement is published next to a headline purported to have been published in The Daily Mail on December 30, 2023, stating: “Starmer will hand families a £2,200 tax bombshell with £28 billion green jobs investment promise.”

But the organisation Full Fact says: “This is misleading because it suggests the Mail was reporting the £2,200 figure as fact, rather than a claim from one political party. The image in the leaflet omits the key words ‘Tories say’, which appeared at the end of the original headline, paraphrasing Conservative party chair Richard Holden MP.”

Full Fact is a registered charity that campaigns with the slogan that “bad information ruins lives”. Statements made by politicians of all parties are checked, as well as those made by public institutions, journalists and people writing on social media. They follow up on fact checks by asking people to correct the record.

Full Fact says that voters in at least five other constituencies have received Conservative leaflets making the same “tax bombshell” claim.

The Guildford Dragon NEWS has asked Mr Hunt’s office for a response but so far, none has been forthcoming.

Disclosure: David Reading is a member of the Green Party.

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