What we’re doing about Brexit

After the last few days, none of us can be sure what the coming weeks will bring in UK politics. And, if recent years have taught us anything, it’s that we’d be foolish to try to guess.

But whichever side you end up on, you deserve the facts – and we want to make sure you have them. As we did in the EU referendum, we'll be working with leading experts – like UK in a Changing Europe and the Institute for Government’s Brexit team – to explain what’s going on and identify and challenge misinformation.

Full Fact is preparing for the possibility of an election or referendum – something that stretches our team to the limit.

We’ll continue to warn that our election law has not kept up with the modern world, and the government needs to act now to put that right.

At the moment we risk an election where unaccountable dark advertising swings votes, partisan leaflets can masquerade as official information and the official bodies that should be informing us are silent.

Thanks to our supporters, we’re building our ability to tackle online misinformation at speed – which both our own and international experience shows can be critical before major votes. In the 2017 election, we got Facebook and Google to support this work with the international experts First Draft. Those companies will need to step up again.

As Professor Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe has said, “this is the start of a prolonged period of rancour” which will last beyond the Brexit date and – whatever the outcome – leave many unhappy.

Facts should be our common ground during this process. But it would be easy for facts to be a casualty instead.

Every one of us can play our part in keeping reason at the heart of this debate. In the end, the culture of public life comes down to the choices we all make.

We’d like to thank all of you who stand up for informed debate in your work and in your lives by supporting Full Fact. All our voices will be needed in the coming months and weeks – whatever they bring.

We rely on your help to protect our independence and make sure we can keep factchecking. Become a donor today.