Ben Chu
@benchu.bsky.social
Policy and analysis correspondent, BBC Verify. https://www.benchu.co.uk/ Author of "Exile Economics: What Happens if Globalisation Fails", published May 2025 https://linktr.ee/exileeconomics
Why are successive governments having to release some prisoners early? My analysis for the BBC website, done with Lucy Gilder ✍️👇 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Early prison releases: Why some prisoners are being freed after a third of their sentence
More people going to prison, and for longer, is why governments including the current one have had to release prisoners early.
bbc.co.uk
Was on Newscast this afternoon - along with Alison Holt and Jim Reed - talking about the benefits and costs of social care reform 🎧👇 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Newscast - What is Andy Burnham's Plan to 'Fix' Social Care? - BBC Sounds
And how will the Prime Minister fund social care reform?
bbc.co.uk
I analyse the Government's main social care reform options (and their troubled political history) for the BBC website ✍️👇 - Cap on lifetime costs - More generous means test - Free personal care - National care service www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Social care: Four ways to reform the system
With Andy Burnham saying he wants to bring "substantial change" to social care in England, BBC Verify looks at what could be done.
bbc.co.uk
Talking about Burnham’s economic policies on Newsnight 1030pm on BBC2 & iplayer
Can Andy Burnham solve the housing crisis? My analysis for the BBC website ✍️👇 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Can Andy Burnham solve the housing crisis?
BBC Verify has looked at the scale of the housing challenge facing Burnham when he becomes PM.
bbc.co.uk
The welfare reform challenge facing Andy Burnham. Rising Personal Independence Payment numbers and rising working-age health and sickness spending - though a flat outlook for non-pensioner welfare as % GDP. My online analysis for BBC online ✍️ 👇 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
How rise in ADHD benefits claims is adding to Andy Burnham's welfare challenge
More than 100,000 people with ADHD as their main condition receive Pip, latest figures show, an increase of 40% since Labour came to power.
bbc.co.uk
Has Starmer left a £5bn defence funding hole for Burnham? My Verify explainer for BBC online ✍️👇 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Has Keir Starmer left a £5bn defence funding hole for Andy Burnham?
BBC Verify investigates whether it's right to talk of a "black hole" in the government defence investment plan.
bbc.co.uk
As the Defence Investment Plan finally sees the light of day, are you confused by all the UK defence spending figures being thrown around by politicians? If so, read our Verify explainer on the BBC website here ✍️👇 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Should we expect Andy Burnham's devolution plan to actually raise UK economic growth? I examine the evidence in an piece for the BBC website ✍️👇 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Will Andy Burnham's devolution plan raise economic growth?
BBC Verify has looked at what impact further devolution could be expected to have on the UK.
bbc.co.uk
Is the UK worse off because of Brexit? Watch @rosatkins.bsky.social's deep Verify dive for the BBC's YouTube channel (in which I pop up a few times!) Produced by Katerina Karelli 📺👇 www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-9e...
Is the UK worse off because of Brexit? | BBC News
YouTube video by BBC News
youtube.com
Weapons, money and ships: How is this Iran deal different from others? My analysis for BBC online ✍️ 👇 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Weapons, money and ships: How is this Iran deal different from others?
BBC Verify examines how the new deal between the US and Iran affects three key areas.
bbc.co.uk
What is the government planning to spend on defence? And what do critics think it *should* be spending? Here's some context for all the somewhat confusing numbers flying around Thread...1/7
You’ve probably heard of Henry – the High Earner, Not Rich Yet. But what about his nemesis, Richard – who Retired In a Comfortable House And Refuses to Downsize? There are quite a lot of Richards out there. They’re the subject of my column for today’s Observer. observer.co.uk/news/busines...
EXCL: Andy Burnham’s first broadcast interview since confirming he’d join any potential Labour leadership contest • is ‘sympathetic’ to reversing the gov’s NI rise for employers • asked why he believes he’d be a better PM than Keir Starmer says ‘I’m not getting into that’ 1/2 👇
"Protection in an inter-connected world is best achieved therefore through trust and widely followed global rules." Must read from @davidheniguk.bsky.social 👇
David Henig@davidheniguk.bsky.social · 2mo agoPleased and relieved to present my new paper on the "WhatsApp world order", on how an inter-connected world was created by technology and politics failed to keep up. There is a lot in here and I'll post some key findings to follow. ecipe.org/publications...
Iran has damaged 20 US military sites since the start of the war, satellite images and videos analysed by BBC Verify show, suggesting the attacks are more extensive than publicly acknowledged. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Iran attacks damage 20 US military sites since start of war, satellite images show
Analysts told BBC Verify that Tehran's strikes were more extensive than publicly acknowledged.
bbc.co.uk
There's a striking statistic in the Milburn report on NEETs that: "Overall, we estimate that in 2024/25 for every £1 that DWP spent on employment support for young people, around £25 was spent on benefits for young people". Here's where it comes from... www.gov.uk/government/p...
Young people and work: interim report analytical annex
gov.uk
Why are UK energy bills rising again? 📈🔌 The government blames the fallout from the Iran war. The Conservatives are blaming the Government's net zero policies and failure to explore for more North Sea oil and gas. Who is right?...1/10
I've binge listened to three excellent and engrossing podcast series on BBC Sounds in recent weeks, which I'd thoroughly recommend 🎧 They are...
Latest (provisional) estimate of UK net migration is 171k in the 12 months to December 2025 👇 www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...
Are concerns about supermarket price gouging valid? And would price control policies work? 4 minute analysis from me for BBC Sounds 📻🎧👇 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Ministers press supermarkets to cut price of essentials - BBC Sounds
BBC Verify's Ben Chu takes a look at whether such a policy would work.
bbc.co.uk
What has the economic impact of Brexit been? My Verify report on iPlayer here 📺👇 www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
Labour Leadership Speculation Reopens Brexit Debate
Almost ten years on from the Brexit referendum, Ben Chu from BBC Verify looks at what we know about the economic impact of the UK leaving the European Union.
bbc.co.uk
I'll be talking about the potential economic implications of the the PM trying to put Britain "at the heart of Europe" on the Today programme shortly 📻
Getting ready for the Guernsey Literary Festival business breakfast tomorrow 50 copies of my book Exile Economics signed - around 60 to go! 😂
Trump's repeated claims of the imminent opening of the Strait of Hormuz HAVE moved the oil price down - but only TEMPORARILY...
The UAE produced 3.2 million barrels per day of crude oil in Q1 2026. So OPEC will be losing around 12% of its production capacity with the UAE's departure from the cartel....
Key point from Cat Little's evidence to the Foreign Affairs committee is she sought key info from Olly Robbins in relation to Mandelson's appointment in line with her mission under Parliament's Humble Address - but was told by Robbins it would "not be forthcoming"... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Here's what has happened to detected small boat arrivals across the channel since Labour came to office. This is the raw daily arrival figures...1/5
