A third major broadcaster has been unable to provide an explanation for why high-profile presenters are failing to challenge politicians and commentators who repeat the false claim that spending on social security needs to be cut because it is out of control.
Last week, Disability News Service (DNS) challenged BBC News and Sky News over the failure of news presenters to push back on the often-repeated claim that social security spending is out of control and needs to be cut, when in fact it is stable.
This week, DNS has challenged Channel 5, and particularly the failings of its star presenter Jeremy Vine (pictured) and his daytime Jeremy Vine Show.
ITN, which makes the Jeremy Vine Show, said this week that such claims were misleading.
But Vine and his programme have become notorious among disabled people for whipping up hostility towards them, particularly those who receive benefits.
One of the most concerning examples of his failure to challenge false claims about spending on social security came in March 2025, when he told his panel: “… and you’ve got to slash benefits.”
He then said: “You’ve going to have to cut the benefits first and then expect them to get out the front door and work.”
And he told the panel: “There’s something fishy going on… we’ve had a massive increase since Covid, 25 per cent increase, in people who are too ill to work.”
More recently, in May this year, he failed to challenge a guest who claimed the benefits bill was “out of control”.
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