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Economy in NI: Has regional inequality doubled since 1998?
26 February 2026
CLAIM: In 1998, Belfast’s Gross Value Added (GVA) was 42% while according to the most recent statistics its GVA is now 80% – meaning regional inequality has doubled in that time.
Rating
INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION
In a 26 January Assembly debate about economic trends on the island of Ireland, SDLP MLA Sinéad McLaughlin claimed: “Regional inequality has doubled here since
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NI trade:will new EU customs fees apply to NI?
18 February 2026
CLAIM: EU customs regulations allowing imports of goods valued under €150 for no fee are to be abolished, with a €3 flat fee to apply from 1 July this year. Northern Ireland is within the EU customs zone and this fee will apply to packages arriving here from outside the EU. Furthermore, an extra handling fee of €2 is also set to be added – and will also apply locally.
Rating
MIXED
In a Member’s Statement delivered to the NI Assembly on 19 January, UUP MLA Steve Aiken said: “Members may not be aware of European Commission
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Social care in NI: Do the majority of independent employers pay the real living wage?
10 February 2026
CLAIM: Within the independent social care sector in Northern Ireland, 70% of employers pay their workers the real Living Wage.
Rating
INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION
In a meeting of the NI Assembly Health Committee on 20 November 2025, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, in response to a question about the real
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Housing in NI: Have rents in Belfast gone up 50% in half a decade?
2 February 2026
CLAIM: Private rents in Belfast have risen by half in the past five years.
Rating
ACCURATE
In a 12 December article published in the Financial Times, Queen’s University Belfast Economics Professor Richard Ramsey claimed that rents in Belfast had: “Gone up
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Economy in NI: Has NI trade with both Great Britain and Ireland increased substantially in recent years?
26 January 2026
CLAIM: In 2023, exports from NI to GB rose 12.4% year-on-year, while imports rose 16.2%. In 2001, cross-border trade with Ireland was worth £1.9bn. By 2015, it held a “similar” value but by 2022 it was worth over £7bn
Rating
ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION
In a debate in the Assembly on 8 December, Sinn Féin MLA Pádraig Delargy claimed: “The Windsor framework has protected our unique dual market access.
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Employment in NI: Do over 18,000 people regularly cross the border for work?
17 December 2025
CLAIM: Over 18,000 workers in total cross the border, in either direction, on a regular basis. This number has increased by over 4,000 in the past decade.
Rating
ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION
On 24 November, the Assembly debated a motion noting the latest Joint Census publication covering all of Ireland. The motion was tabled by Sinn Féin
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Labour market in NI: Does NI have the lowest unemployment on these islands?
28 November 2025
CLAIM: Northern Ireland has lower unemployment than in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The local unemployment rate has dropped by 80% since the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.
Rating
ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION.
During a discussion on BBC Radio Ulster show Talk Back on 21 October, UUP MLA Jon Burrows claimed: “Sometimes we need to remember that Northern Articles
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Employment in NI: Does Northern Ireland have the largest disability employment gap in the UK?
7 November 2025
CLAIM: Northern Ireland has the largest gap between the disability employment rate and the employment rate for those without a disability of any region in the UK. According to the latest figures, 38.2% of people with a disability have a job, compared with 83.8% of people with no disability.
Rating
ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION
During an Assembly debate on 30 September about the skills gap between young people and businesses, Alliance Party MLA Michelle Guy claimed: “Northern Ireland continues
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Back to school in NI: Does an average secondary school uniform cost over £1,000?
23 October 2025
CLAIM: The average cost of a secondary school uniform in Northern Ireland is £1,094.
Rating
INACCURATE
In an article in the Irish News published on 6 October, academic Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick and researcher Siobhán Harding wrote: “Parents with secondary school children
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Education in NI: Does Northern Ireland have a shortage of university places for local people?
2 October 2025
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Immigration in NI: Does Belfast provide homes to more “illegal migrants” than every other UK city except Glasgow?
28 August 2025
CLAIM: New Home Office data has revealed the ten cities with the most homes given to “illegal migrants” in the UK – with Glasgow at the top and Belfast in second place.
Rating
INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION
On 21 August, a social media user calling themselves “Basil the Great” claimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter): This isn’t accurate, for several
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Economy
Rates in NI: Do businesses in Belfast pay rates that are four times higher than their equivalents in Dublin?
28 July 2025
CLAIM: A local business owner recently opened premises on a “prestigious” street in Dublin, where rates are just €9,000 per year – while “comparable” premises in Belfast could see rates of €36,000.
Rating
UNSUBSTANTIATED
In an Assembly debate on the cost of doing business on 2 June, UUP MLA Diana Armstrong said: “A local business owner recently shared a