20 claims checked against independent sources, chosen by a fixed rule (every material claim (one that supports an argument, a policy or an attack) in the transcripts that count towards a score; in other transcripts, up to 10 claims spread evenly across each; plus any claim an emotional passage relies on). 0 more were found but not checked yet; they do not count.
Quotes leave out filler sounds and repeated words. Words in [square brackets] correct a transcript that misheard or misspelt them. The transcript keeps every word as published.
Can't verify60% confidence
“There is indeed a strong indication that Iran played a part.”
Claim checkedThere is a strong indication that Iran played a part in the suspected plot at RAF Fairford.
Police were investigating whether the 27-28 September 2026 RAF Fairford arrests were linked to Iran, and the US Secretary of State spoke of a 'foreign actor', but the intelligence behind the government's 'strong indication' was not public. Iran's embassy denied any involvement.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Excluded from Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Supported90% confidence
“I didn't hesitate to call the Cobra meeting this week.”
Claim checkedAndy Burnham called a Cobra meeting in the week of 28 September 2026 after the RAF Fairford arrests.
Andy Burnham chaired an emergency Cobra meeting after the RAF Fairford arrests during the Labour conference in the week of 28 September 2026, as LBC reported.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Partly supported65% confidence
“there's a clear majority of people in Britain who say the privatization of water has been a disaster”
Claim checkedA clear majority of people in Britain say the privatisation of water has been a disaster.
Polls show large majorities for public ownership of water: 69% in a YouGov poll for the Financial Times and 82% in another YouGov poll said water should be renationalised or run publicly, and a July 2026 YouGov poll found 77% want water firms to act in the public interest. No poll found asked whether privatisation was a 'disaster', so that exact wording is not directly measured.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Partly supported65% confidence
“I didn't talk about the other party leaders or the other parties.”
Claim checkedIn his 29 September 2026 conference speech, Andy Burnham did not talk about the other party leaders or the other parties.
Reports of the 29 September 2026 conference speech say it did not name Nigel Farage. It did warn that the current voting system could let 'a movement' into government on under 30% of the vote, which was widely read as a reference to Reform UK, and it said other politicians had been 'too cowardly' on care.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Partly supported65% confidence
“most of the political parties have indicated support.”
Claim checkedMost of the UK's political parties have indicated support for electoral reform.
The Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP and Plaid Cymru back proportional representation, and Labour now has a manifesto pledge for it, so most parties by number support reform. The Conservatives back first past the post, and Reform UK, which leads the polls, has dropped its earlier support for PR.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Partly supported55% confidence
“my predecessors in this role haven't been prepared to do that.”
Claim checkedAndy Burnham's predecessors as prime minister were not prepared to say in what direction social care reform was going.
Recent governments postponed or dropped funded care reform: the Dilnot cap in the Care Act 2014 was delayed, Johnson's 2021 levy was cancelled in 2022, and the cap was scrapped in 2024, with the Casey commission set up instead. But earlier prime ministers did set out a direction: Cameron legislated a cap and Johnson announced a cap funded by a levy, so 'not prepared' overstates it.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Supported90% confidence
“tomorrow VAT comes off electricity bills.”
Claim checkedVAT comes off household electricity bills on 1 October 2026.
The government cut VAT on domestic electricity from 5% to 0% from 1 October 2026, the day after the interview. The government put the saving at about £45 a year for a typical household.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Supported80% confidence
“unfunded budget proposals caused a run on people's mortgages”
Claim checkedUnfunded proposals in the 2022 mini-budget caused turmoil in the mortgage market, with products withdrawn and rates rising.
The September 2022 mini-budget's roughly £45bn of debt-funded tax cuts pushed up borrowing costs. Lenders pulled a record 935 mortgage products in one day, and average mortgage rates rose above 6%. 'Run on mortgages' is loose wording, but the core of the claim matches the record.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Supported75% confidence
“We've had a decade of low growth, too much division.”
Claim checkedThe UK has had a decade of low economic growth.
The UK's growth has been weak by historical standards: Resolution Foundation analysis shows GDP per person growing about 0.5% a year over a 15-year period, against 2.5% a year from 1993 to 2008. 'Too much division' is a judgement, not a checkable fact.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
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Supported85% confidence
“I'm the seventh prime minister in 10 years.”
Claim checkedAndy Burnham is the seventh UK prime minister in the ten years since the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Counting from the June 2016 referendum, the prime ministers have been Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss, Sunak, Starmer and Burnham, so Burnham is the seventh. Brussels Signal also describes him as the seventh prime minister in a decade.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Supported75% confidence
“I said in my lifetime”
Claim checkedAndy Burnham has said that he wants the UK to rejoin the EU in his lifetime.
Burnham said in 2025 that he wanted the UK to rejoin the EU, and in September 2026 he repeated 'I hope in my lifetime I see this country rejoin the European Union'.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Supported85% confidence
“Canada is talking about a new relationship with Europe.”
Claim checkedCanada is discussing a new relationship with the European Union.
On 17 September 2026 Mark Carney told the European Parliament that Canada welcomed Ursula von der Leyen's offer of closer ties, including possible associate membership of the EU.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Supported80% confidence
“So public opinion in Britain has changed.”
Claim checkedPublic opinion in Britain on Brexit has changed since the 2016 referendum.
A YouGov poll around the tenth anniversary of the referendum found 58% saying Britain was wrong to leave the EU and 29% saying it was right, against a 52% Leave vote in 2016.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Partly supported60% confidence
“savings on that scale would be enough to pay for social care”
Claim checkedSavings from Andy Burnham's 2030 triple lock reform would be large enough to pay for a national care service, though not immediately.
The government estimates the triple lock change will save £15bn a year by 2039-40 (£11bn in today's terms), against a Health Foundation estimate of about £18.5bn a year in 2035 for the care service. The IFS says the saving is very uncertain (£4bn-£20bn), and argues it only avoids unfunded pension rises, so tax rises or other cuts would still be needed to pay for care.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Supported85% confidence
“there will be people out there watching Sky News who are paying care charges from their basic state pension”
Claim checkedSome older people in England pay care charges out of their basic state pension or other income.
Under council financial assessments in England, the state pension always counts as income. People whose care home placement is council-funded pay towards it from their income, keeping only a personal expenses allowance of about £30 a week.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Supported85% confidence
“Louise Casey, Baroness Casey is looking at all of these issues”
Claim checkedBaroness Louise Casey's commission is examining how a national care service could be introduced.
Baroness Louise Casey chairs the independent commission into adult social care. Its first phase, due in 2026, is to plan how to bring in a national care service, and a final report is due by 2028.
Our model rated this · methodology v7No independent source: excluded
Not yet reviewed by a person
Partly supported60% confidence
“an issue that Westminster has basically ignored for 30 years”
Claim checkedWestminster has failed to resolve the issue of social care funding for 30 years.
Social care reform has repeatedly stalled: the Dilnot cap legislated in 2014 was delayed, the 2021 levy was cancelled in 2022, and the cap was scrapped in 2024. But Westminster did not 'ignore' the issue: a 1999 Royal Commission, the 2011 Dilnot Commission, the Care Act 2014 and the 2021 plan all addressed it.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Not counted
5
Procedural claims (the speaker's own dates, petition counts, who said what, background), clear slips of the tongue, and words read out from someone else. They stay on the record and do not count in Accuracy.