Anti-Burnham fake news on Makerfield Facebook accounts has surged, report finds – UK politics live

A report released today by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) found that 16% of news shared in local Facebook groups during the Makerfield by-election campaign was false. This represents a four-fold increase from the 4% misinformation rate observed before the by-election was announced. The SMF analyzed over 1,800 posts across four local Facebook groups, which collectively have 66,000 members, and identified that the misinformation heavily targeted Labour and its candidate, Andy Burnham. The findings have implications for political discourse in a social media environment saturated with false information. The report highlights a significant surge in hostile, fake news circulating about Burnham on these platforms as he appears on course to win the by-election on Thursday.