Have more than 100 private schools been forced to close because of VAT?

The podcast examines statistical claims in the news, questioning their validity and context. It investigates the assertion that a VAT increase led to private school closures, revealing the closure rate actually decreased and special schools are a key factor. The program also dissects the widely cited figure of 23,000 avoidable COVID deaths linked to delayed lockdown measures, with Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter arguing this number, derived from a contested Imperial College model, is treated as fact without sufficient statistical scrutiny. Finally, the podcast challenges the claim that X (formerly Twitter) is a primary news source for millions of families, contrasting government figures with Ofcom data and prompting a correction in the official parliamentary record.