A screenshot shared on X purports to show a Daily Telegraph headline claiming U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering building “emergency detainment camps” on the Falkland Islands.
He won’t send illegal immigrants to Rwanda but he will consider sending Brits to the Falklands…#TwoTierKeir pic.twitter.com/xGm2U5zBhn
— Paul the Other One🏴🇬🇧🏉🐱🤘🍷 (@58paulb) August 7, 2024
Verdict: False
The claim is false. In an August 8 statement shared on X, the Daily Telegraph denied it had published the purported headline. A spokesperson for the Daily Telegraph denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Starmer said police will “remain on high alert” amid riots occurring in the U.K., according to BBC News. Over 500 people have been arrested in connection with the riots, the outlet reported.
The X post purports to show a Daily Telegraph headline claiming Starmer is considering building “emergency detainment camps” on the Falkland Islands. “Keir Starmer considering building ’emergency detainment camps’ on the Falkland Islands,” the purported headline reads. “The camps would be used to detain prisoners from the ongoing riots as the British prison system is already at capacity,” a subheadline adds.
According to the screenshot, the article appears to have been written by Fiona Parker, who is listed as a senior news reporter for the outlet, on August 7.
The claim is false. A search of the Daily Telegraph’s website does not generate the purported headline. The headline also cannot be found on the outlet’s verified social media accounts. Likewise, Starmer has not publicly commented on the claim.
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. Full Fact, Reuters, and Lead Stories have all indicated the claim is false. (RELATED: Facebook Post Misidentifies Suspect Who Allegedly Committed Southport, U.K. Stabbings)
Furthermore, the Daily Telegraph issued a statement on X on August 8 confirming it had not published the purported headline.
“The Telegraph is aware of an image circulating on X which purports to be a Telegraph article about ’emergency detainment camps.’ No such article has ever been published by the Telegraph,” the outlet said.
He won’t send illegal immigrants to Rwanda but he will consider sending Brits to the Falklands…#TwoTierKeir pic.twitter.com/xGm2U5zBhn
— Paul the Other One🏴🇬🇧🏉🐱🤘🍷 (@58paulb) August 7, 2024
The false headline references recent riots occurring in the U.K. following a stabbing that killed three young children in Southport, according to BBC News. Following the stabbing, rumors that the alleged attacker was Muslim circulated, leading to riots, the outlet reported.
A spokesperson for the Daily Telegraph denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“This is a fabricated headline for an article that does not exist. We notified relevant platforms and requested that the post be taken down,” the same spokesperson said.