Dashboard/Keir Starmer/ITV News interview with Robert Peston at Labour conference: living standards, Reform, growth and the taxes in the budget, his unpopularity and Andy Burnham
Interview · 30 Sep 2025
ITV News interview with Robert Peston at Labour conference: living standards, Reform, growth and the taxes in the budget, his unpopularity and Andy Burnham
Only 9 rated questions; a transcript needs 15 for a number. Claims that held up: 83% of 15 checked (Bluff 8.3 of 50). Its claims still count towards the overall score.
Fact or Fluff
Supported10Partly supported7Can't verify1
18 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.
Partly supported60% confidence
“for 14 years under the last government their living standards did not materially improve and public services were decimated.”
Claim checkedUnder the previous government, from 2010 to 2024, living standards did not materially improve and public services were badly run down.
The Resolution Foundation found typical non-pensioner household disposable income grew by about 0.5% a year from 2010 to 2024, 7% in all against 38% in the 14 years before: very weak growth, though not none. The slowdown was driven partly by the financial crisis, Covid-19 and high inflation. 'Decimated' public services is a description, not a measure.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
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Supported65% confidence
“I always said that change would take more than 12 months. I said that before the election.”
Claim checkedBefore the 2024 election Starmer said that change would take more than 12 months.
Before the 2024 election Starmer repeatedly said there was 'no quick fix' and 'no magic wand', that change would take time, and spoke of a 'decade of national renewal'. No source was found with the exact words '12 months'.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
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Partly supported50% confidence
“If you look across Europe, most center-right parties withering on the vine. That's what's happened to the Conservative party here.”
Claim checkedAcross Europe most centre-right parties are withering, and that is what has happened to the Conservative Party in the UK.
The UK part holds: the Conservatives won 121 seats in 2024, their lowest total ever. Across Europe the picture is mixed: the centre-right European People's Party remained the largest group after the 2024 European Parliament election, and the CDU/CSU won Germany's election in February 2025, while groups to its right gained. 'Most' centre-right parties withering is not borne out.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Partly supported65% confidence
“We've removed 35,000.”
Claim checkedThe government has removed 35,000 people who were in the UK illegally since July 2024.
Home Office figures record 35,052 returns between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025, up 13% on the year before. Only 9,115 of these were enforced returns; most were voluntary departures, so 'removed' overstates the number of enforced removals.
Our model rated this · methodology v7No independent source: excluded
Not yet reviewed by a person
Partly supported60% confidence
“as reform said last week that migrants who are lawfully in this country have been lawfully in this country for years working in our health service in education running businesses our neighbors should be removed.”
Claim checkedReform UK said the week before 30 September 2025 that migrants lawfully in the UK for years, working in the NHS, education and business, should be removed.
On 22 September 2025 Reform UK said it would abolish indefinite leave to remain, including retrospectively, so people already settled lawfully would have to reapply for visas under stricter salary and English rules. People who failed would lose the right to stay, and some coverage described it as mass deportation, but the plan was framed as removing settled status rather than as a pledge to remove those people.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Supported80% confidence
“in the first six months of this year, we had the fastest growth in the G7.”
Claim checkedIn the first six months of 2025 the UK had the fastest economic growth in the G7.
ONS figures show UK GDP grew 0.7% in the first quarter of 2025 and 0.3% in the second. Bloomberg reported this made the UK the fastest-growing G7 economy in the first half of the year, helped by a slowdown in the US and Canada. Quarterly growth remained modest.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Supported75% confidence
“highest growth in the G7.”
Claim checkedThe UK had the highest growth in the G7 in the first half of 2025.
A repeat of the previous claim: on ONS figures of 0.7% and 0.3% growth in the first two quarters of 2025, the UK had the fastest growth in the G7 over that half year, as Bloomberg reported.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Partly supported75% confidence
“We had five interest rate cuts in a row.”
Claim checkedThere have been five interest rate cuts in a row since Labour took office in July 2024.
The Bank of England cut Bank Rate five times by September 2025 (1 August and 7 November 2024, 6 February, 8 May and 7 August 2025), but it held rates at the meetings in between, so the cuts were not 'in a row'. Rates are set by the Bank's independent Monetary Policy Committee, not the government.
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Not yet reviewed by a person
Partly supported50% confidence
“We've had record investment into this country.”
Claim checkedThe UK has had record investment coming into the country.
During the US state visit of 16 to 18 September 2025 the government announced about £150 billion of US investment pledges, which it called the largest package from any state visit. The total combined new and earlier pledges spread over many years, and no source shows record investment actually arriving.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Can't verify40% confidence
“118 billion in the first year of Labor government, 150 billion just two years ago.”
Claim checkedThe UK attracted £118 billion of investment in the Labour government's first year, and £150 billion recently.
No source was found for £118 billion of investment in the government's first year. The £150 billion matches the investment pledges announced during the US state visit two weeks before the interview; the captions say 'two years ago', probably a mishearing of 'two weeks ago'.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Excluded from Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Supported90% confidence
“that planning and infrastructure bill is going through parliament.”
Claim checkedThe Planning and Infrastructure Bill was going through Parliament in September 2025.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill was in committee stage in the House of Lords in September 2025, with sittings on 9, 15 and 17 September. It became law in December 2025.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
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Supported85% confidence
“the frigot contract that we won from Norway. We were up against competition from France, from Germany, from the US.”
Claim checkedThe UK won Norway's frigate contract against competition from France, Germany and the US.
Norway chose the UK's Type 26 frigate on 31 August 2025 after a 10-month competition. The other shortlisted designs came from France, Germany and the United States.
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Not yet reviewed by a person
Supported80% confidence
“that's a mandate for five years”
Claim checkedThe mandate won in July 2024 runs for up to five years.
Under the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022, a Parliament is dissolved automatically five years after it first met, unless dissolved earlier. The Parliament elected in July 2024 can therefore run until 2029.
Our model rated this · methodology v7Counts in Accuracy
Not yet reviewed by a person
Partly supported55% confidence
“we fundamentally reset the relationship between Westminster and our mayors.”
Claim checkedThe government has fundamentally reset the relationship between Westminster and the English regional mayors.
Days after the election the Prime Minister met the English mayors and set up the Council of the Nations and Regions, which first met on 11 October 2024 with the mayors and the devolved leaders. That shows a new forum; whether it is a 'fundamental reset' is a judgement.
Our model rated this · methodology v7No independent source: excluded
Not yet reviewed by a person
Not counted
1
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.