Live factchecking the #ITVEUref debate

13 June 2016 | Amy Hawkins

It was another late night for the Full Fact team yesterday. We were back at the ITV studios to live factcheck the flagship EU referendum debate. Speaking in favour of Remain: Angela Eagle, Amber Rudd, and Nicola Sturgeon. Speaking in favour of Leave: Gisela Stuart, Angela Leadsom, and Boris Johnson. In the studio with the facts and to brief the journalists: Full Fact.

Fact check: ITV EU referendum debate round-up #ITVEURef https://t.co/7iMBiouBfD pic.twitter.com/v0hpA3BwbE
— ITV News (@itvnews) June 9, 2016

The experts @FullFact are preparing to fact check tonight's #ITVEURef at @itvnews HQ https://t.co/bvaIhx4M01 pic.twitter.com/XFK0YO44Tu
— ITV News (@itvnews) June 9, 2016

The UK's EU membership fee

Yet again Boris Johnson repeats the same £350m a week figure GP Sarah Wollaston said was fiction #ITVEURef
— ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) June 9, 2016

We don’t send £350m/week to EU. https://t.co/eZTyTZgL9v
#ITVEUref pic.twitter.com/yrzogsiEZi
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

Control of borders

Gisela Stuart MP: Without controlling immigration, our ability to plan for schools, for housing & for hospitals is limited #ITVEURef
— Sam Sussex (@SamSussex) June 9, 2016

The UK can’t control the scale of immigration from other EU countries https://t.co/T72IwwaubL #ITVEURef pic.twitter.com/MKYCCyC1xl
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

Vote to leave doesn't necessarily mean control of borders; depends on govt policy https://t.co/KtRSxCdhfq #ITVEUref
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

EU growth

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Anyone else bored of hearing about the lack of economic growth in Antarctica? #ITVEURef
— Owen Bennett (@owenjbennett) June 9, 2016

Since 2014, South America and Europe as a whole have grown more slowly than the EU. https://t.co/YxwD3vuSBm #ITVEURef
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

UK jobs

UK depends on EU for 3 million jobs, 2million EU workers over 27 countries depend on UK. No brainer. #remain #itveuref
— Mary Glen (@smaglens) June 9, 2016

You know Eagles is winging it when she pumps out the 3 million jobs myth. #ITVEURef
— Young Eurosceptics (@Y_Eurosceptics) June 9, 2016

An estimated 3-4 million jobs linked to EU trade - not same as being dependent on British membership of EU https://t.co/OBwbd3QHZc #ITVEUref
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

Impact of immigration on wages

Labour MP Gisela Stuart argues that uncontrolled immigration has been bad for those on low incomes #ITVEURef
— Bernard Jenkin (@bernardjenkin) June 7, 2016

Research suggests small effect of immigration on wages - more significant for low wage workers https://t.co/Gk7rmBimRN #ITVEUref
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

Brits living in other EU countries

We tend to forget that we have the right to live, work and study in 27 other countries. The 2m+ Brits abroad get forgotten #ITVEURef
— Matthew Williams (@euromatt22) June 7, 2016

There are roughly 1.2 million Brits living in the EU. 2 million is an outdated figure https://t.co/KfsYfjgSeY #ITVEUref
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

The Australian-style points system for immigration

'IN' campaign have no plan re: immigration. We propose an Australian style points based system. #VoteLeave #ITVEURef pic.twitter.com/z0B9lhVmUk
— Vote Leave (@vote_leave) June 9, 2016

.@AmberRudd_MP rightly points out Migration Watch have said Australian Points System is wrong for the UK #StrongerIn #ITVEURef
— Open Britain (@OpenBritainHQ) June 9, 2016

The government's immigration target

Boris: If politicians keep on missing their immigration target, it erodes public trust in the people they elect #ITVEURef
— Vote Leave (@vote_leave) June 9, 2016

Is the government's immigration target only achievable outside the EU? https://t.co/sp2lDV9E9B #ITVEURef
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

Net migration from EU countries isn't the only reason the government hasn't met its net migration target https://t.co/vr9VPycktg #ITVEURef
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

Economists' opinions on Brexit

@GiselaStuart tells people to ignore experts when told that 90% economists support #Remain. Desperate if not reckless stuff #ITVEURef
— Bernard McEldowney (@BernardMcEldown) June 10, 2016

Amber Rudd, of course, says " listen to the experts" - Remain do have an impressive list (although 9/10 economists is misleading) #ITVEURef
— Adam Smith-Roberts (@adamtimsmith) June 9, 2016

Claim that 9 out of 10 economists say our economy would be worse isn’t representative of all economists https://t.co/IVX5SQQn7d #ITVEURef
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

Most economic forecasts predict that leaving the EU would cost the UK economy and cost public finances. https://t.co/rc05lVD2C7 #ITVEUref
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

LIVE on #Periscope: .@ITVAllegra joins the @FullFact team in fact checking the #ITVEURef debate https://t.co/iBmztW4XAu
— ITV News (@itvnews) June 9, 2016

UK exports to the EU

44% of our exports go to the EU single market of 500 million people - but the leave campaign wants to make these more expensive #ITVEURef
— ConservativesIN (@ConservativesIN) June 9, 2016

"Our trade exports to the EU have flatlined over 10 years and gone down dramatically over the last few" - @andrealeadsom #ITVEURef #LeaveEU
— Leave.EU (@LeaveEUOfficial) June 9, 2016

44% of UK goods & services exported last year went to other EU countries. Share declining since 2000s https://t.co/AN1tfGouwg #ITVEURef
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

Workers' rights

#ITVEURef does #brexit mean all the employment laws and workers rights we follow are annulled ?? #VoteRemain talking rubbish all evening.
— AI (@a_iyer) June 9, 2016

If we don't ensure bosses pay the min wage to migrant workers, they're more likely to undercut Britons #ITVEURef https://t.co/tb0IaXu5dn
— LSE Brexit (@lsebrexitvote) June 9, 2016

Many employment rights currently set in EU law, but plenty were introduced before the EU got involved https://t.co/Wn912VFznl #ITVEURef
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

The Norway model

NS: Norway has to pay into the EU & abide by all the rules without having any say. #ITVEURef #EURef #VoteRemain
— The SNP (@theSNP) June 9, 2016

No, Nicola, Norway and Switzerland don't have to adopt all the EU rules. #ITVEURef #EUref
— Richard Wellings (@RichardWellings) June 9, 2016

Norway and Switzerland have to accept some EU laws and pay into EU in order to access the single market https://t.co/aTvyh97M4l #ITVEURef
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

Business opinion

Businesses, trade unions, majority of economists, all the experts say the risks are with leaving #StrongerIn #ITVEURef
— Open Britain (@OpenBritainHQ) June 9, 2016

Evidence that small businesses are divided over EU but no fully representative survey we're aware of https://t.co/M6utGuINF4 #ITVEUref
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

What the NHS Chief thinks about Brexit

Simon Stevens, the boss of the NHS England is clear: leaving Europe would be dangerous for our NHS. #ITVEURef https://t.co/AJ7F2s98X6
— People's Vote HQ (@peoplesvote_hq) June 9, 2016

Here’s what NHS Chief Simon Stevens’ said about the EU: if a slowdown in economy, bad for NHS https://t.co/zdiEuMjNWc #ITVEUref
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

EU workers in the NHS

Amber Rudd: 50,000 doctors and nurses in our #NHS are from the EU #StrongerIn #ITVEURef
— Lucy Thomas (@lucycthomas) June 9, 2016

55,000 out of the 1.2 million staff in the English NHS are citizens of other EU countries https://t.co/AUipAkiTRo #ITVEUref
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

The cost of leaving the EU

Lies, lies, damn lies...There is no saving from Brexit. IFS say there is a £40bn cost of leaving the EU. There is no saving #ITVEURef
— Sam Gyimah (@SamGyimah) June 9, 2016

IFS say economic cost of leaving expected to outweigh £8bn savings from net contribution to the EU budget https://t.co/nZwpPLEsi1 #ITVEUref
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

Does the UK get £10 for every £1 put into the EU?

Did Nicola Sturgeon say we get £10 back for every £1 we contribute? I'm sure I misheard… #ITVEURef
— Peter Kirkby (@peter_kirkby) June 9, 2016

£1 to £10 ratio of EU benefit is comparing apples to a basket of vegetables https://t.co/pDy1Qath65 #ITVEURef
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

Deporting EU criminals

#EUlaw grants clear powers for the UK to deport migrants who are criminals. @BorisJohnson is wholly wrong on this one #ITVEURef
— Dr Damian Mather (@mmudrdamian) June 9, 2016

Fact check: 'EU law makes it more difficult to deport foreign criminals' #ITVEURef https://t.co/UTC6ysbOF5 pic.twitter.com/ockCGFoH7v
— ITV News (@itvnews) June 9, 2016

Previous criminal convictions aren’t on their own a valid reason to deport an EU national. Explained: https://t.co/B1QXa6vxqF #ITVEUref
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

UK laws influenced by the EU

At least 60% of UK law is created in Brussels. We are not an independent country&have no real sovereign power David Cameron! #ITVEURef
— Philip 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🌹🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (@_phil0sophical) June 7, 2016

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There's no definitive answer to how many laws are influenced by the EU https://t.co/axbdVGQkiL #ITVEUref
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

VAT and energy bills

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Fact check: 'Britain can't scrap VAT on fuel because of EU' #ITVEURef https://t.co/UTC6ysbOF5 pic.twitter.com/3ex0zycvpu
— ITV News (@itvnews) June 9, 2016

EU rules mean we can't reduce VAT on household energy any lower than the 5% https://t.co/WRxeuVHRS5 #ITVEUref
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

Cost of regulation

Boris Johnson's claim on EU regulation is misleading - it ignores their benefits to the British economy #ITVEURef pic.twitter.com/pKstwfQTzE
— Ashley Kirk (@Ashley_J_Kirk) June 9, 2016

£600m/week regulation costs doesn’t take predicted benefits into account and workings have been criticised https://t.co/a56PplwhBX #ITVEURef
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

The Council of Ministers

The UK has voted against 72 laws in the EU Council of Ministers. It has been outvoted every single time. #ITVEURef
— Vote Leave (@vote_leave) June 9, 2016

UK wins votes in the council of ministers 95% of the time #StrongerIn #ITVEURef
— Will Straw (@wdjstraw) June 9, 2016

The UK is outvoted at the Council of Ministers more than any other country - we also win 95% of the time https://t.co/LkaYJZNUHW #ITVEUref
— Full Fact (@FullFact) June 9, 2016

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Live factchecking the #ITVEUref debate

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