Hannah Smith

Senior Political Journalist

Hannah joined Full Fact as a fact checker in May 2022. Before that she wrote news and features for UNILAD. She is a qualified journalist, and also has a degree in history.

16 October 2025

Is Reform UK on course for the ‘biggest landslide’ in history?

Various newspapers have claimed a poll found Reform UK is set for a ‘record’ election win. But this could do with some context.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage MP speaking at an event in the US

14 October 2025

Is the UK’s national debt set to match the size of the economy?

Conservative shadow chancellor Mel Stride claimed the UK’s debt is set to increase every year under Labour until it’s “the size of the entire economy”.

Mel Stride MP speaking at the 2025 Conservative party conference in Manchester

8 October 2025

What support do asylum seekers get in the UK?

Can asylum seekers claim benefits, use the NHS or get a free iPhone? We’ve answered some of the most common questions we see about the support given.

The outside of The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, which was at the centre of protests against the use of hotels to house asylum seekers.

6 October 2025

Kemi Badenoch’s claims about Labour’s unemployment record aren’t quite right—here’s why

The Conservative leader has repeated two claims about Labour’s record on unemployment, neither of which is quite right.

3 October 2025

Daily Mail corrects report about Reform UK’s disputed immigration savings

An article published by the Daily Mail last week claimed that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage MP said ending Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) for migrants would “save £234 billion …

1 October 2025

Is Keir Starmer right to claim immigration increased ‘four-fold’ under the Conservatives?

The Prime Minister’s claim that immigration quadrupled in five years under the Conservatives actually appears to refer to net migration.

Keir Starmer addressing Labour Party Conference in 2025

29 September 2025

Will ‘all UK citizens’ have to have digital ID?

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy appeared to claim last week that all UK citizens will have to have digital ID—but that’s only true for people who are working in the UK.

26 September 2025

Is there evidence for Nigel Farage’s claim that migrants are catching and eating swans and carp?

With several related claims and video clips circulating on social media in the wake of the Reform UK leader’s comments, we’ve looked at what’s known.

15 September 2025

Yemen’s internationally-recognised Prime Minister has not been killed

Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, who was killed last month in an Israeli airstrike, was Prime Minister of the Houthi rebels, which controls part of Yemen, but is not the country’s internationally-recognised government.

5 September 2025

Unemployment has risen under Labour - but it hasn’t gone up ‘every single month’

We’ve looked into the numbers after claims from a number of Conservative MPs, including the party’s leader Kemi Badenoch.

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About

Hannah Smith

Senior Political Journalist

Is Reform UK on course for the ‘biggest landslide’ in history?

Is the UK’s national debt set to match the size of the economy?

What support do asylum seekers get in the UK?

Kemi Badenoch’s claims about Labour’s unemployment record aren’t quite right—here’s why

Daily Mail corrects report about Reform UK’s disputed immigration savings

Is Keir Starmer right to claim immigration increased ‘four-fold’ under the Conservatives?

Will ‘all UK citizens’ have to have digital ID?

Is there evidence for Nigel Farage’s claim that migrants are catching and eating swans and carp?

Yemen’s internationally-recognised Prime Minister has not been killed

Unemployment has risen under Labour - but it hasn’t gone up ‘every single month’

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