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

A significant increase in hostile and fake news targeting Andy Burnham has been documented on local Facebook groups during the Makerfield byelection campaign. A new report by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) thinktank reveals that nearly one in six news items shared within these groups was false.

Despite this deluge of misinformation, Burnham appears on course to win the election on Thursday. However, the SMF's findings highlight a worrying trend in political campaigning, where social media platforms are awash with falsehoods.

The report, titled 'Fake news quadruples in Makerfield social media groups ahead of by-election,' suggests that this phenomenon has broader implications for the functioning of politics in the digital age. The thinktank's research indicates a substantial rise in the amount of deliberately misleading content circulating in the lead-up to the vote.