Founded out of frustration with how political debate in Britain has turned into performance art, Receipts, Not Rhetoric exists to do one thing: bring evidence back in. Founded out of frustration with how political debate in Britain has turned into performance art, Receipts, Not Rhetoric exists to do one thing: bring evidence back into public life. Our work challenges misinformation, exaggeration,
and the endless game of blame between parties that long ago stopped serving the public. Whether it’s Nigel Farage’s latest soundbite, a minister’s creative maths, or another “common sense” claim that collapses under scrutiny, we go line by line through the paperwork. Because democracy doesn’t collapse overnight - it corrodes slowly, through slogans, spin, and unchecked lies. Our mission is simple:
Receipts, not rhetoric. Accountability, not applause. We believe strong parties shouldn’t fear scrutiny, that patriotism isn’t a prop, and that honesty should be a minimum standard, not a punchline. British politics doesn’t need more outrage - it needs more adults in the room. That’s why we’re here. Here's an example of where we fact check from:
🏛 Parliament & Government Records
Hansard; Commons & Lords Library briefings; Select Committee reports (PAC, Treasury, Home Affairs, Defence, etc.); ministerial statements; PQs; APPG reports. GOV.UK departments – PMO, Cabinet Office, HMT, OBR, DWP, DHSC, DEFRA, DESNZ, DLUHC, DfE, DfT, DBT, Home Office, MoJ, MoD, FCDO, DCMS, DSIT, ONS, HMRC, UKHSA. Devolved governments (Scotland, Wales, NI); GLA; Local Government Association.
⚖️ Legal & Judicial
Legislation.gov.uk; UK Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; BAILII; European Court of Human Rights; ECHR text; Electoral Commission; ICO; EHRC; CMA; FCA; Bank of England; NCA; SFO; IOPC.
🕵️ Independent Bodies & Watchdogs
National Audit Office; Institute for Fiscal Studies; Resolution Foundation; Institute for Government; Nuffield Trust; King’s Fund; Health Foundation; Joseph Rowntree Foundation; Migration Observatory; Centre for Cities; Office for Environmental Protection; Environment Agency.
🌍 International & Economic Institutions
OECD; IMF; World Bank; WTO; UN & UNHCR; IPCC; European Commission / Parliament / Court of Justice; Council of Europe; NATO; WHO; Eurostat.
🎓 Academic & Research
LSE; UCL; Oxford; Cambridge; Manchester; Edinburgh; UK in a Changing Europe; Centre for European Reform; Chatham House; RUSI; British Academy; IPPR; Policy Exchange; Oxford Economics; Cambridge Econometrics.
📰 Credible Media & Fact-Checkers
BBC News; Channel 4 News / FactCheck; ITV News; Sky News; Guardian; FT; Times / Sunday Times; Independent; Reuters; Bloomberg; Economist; Mirror; i Paper; PA Media. Fact checkers: Full Fact; BBC Reality Check; Reuters Fact Check; AP Fact Check; Channel 4 FactCheck. Investigative outlets: Tortoise Media; OpenDemocracy; Byline Times; Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
📑 Specialist Sector Sources
Energy & Environment: Ofgem; National Grid ESO; Climate Change Committee. Crime & Justice: MoJ stats; HM Inspectorate of Prisons; College of Policing. Health & Welfare: NHS England; CQC; Health Foundation; HSE. Elections & Democracy: Electoral Commission; Boundary Commission; Cabinet Office transparency data.
🚫 We Do Not Use These As Primary Evidence
Anonymous social media; YouTube commentary; partisan blogs; unverified think-tanks; aggregator sites (e.g. GB News clips, UK Column).
