Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi’s fictional character whose nose grows longer when he lies, is often used as symbol in fact-checking. Art by Enrico Mazzanti (1852-1910). Public Domain.
The morning after the referendum on the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, one of the leaders of the “Leave” campaign shocked the public by admitting he had misled the public on a key issue. When asked whether the UK's alleged £350 million weekly contribution to the EU would be directed to the National Health Service instead, the former UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage said “that was a mistake.”
In an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid, Farage said that he could not guarantee the fulfillment of the campaign pledge, and tried to dodge the issue by claiming that it was not an official promise, even though the “Leave” campaign had run advertisements announcing it.
