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The general election campaign's at fever pitch. And with the politics in full flow, so is the spin, smearing and downright claptrap.

It's normal for politicians of every party to indulge in a bit of creative thinking in the run-up to polling day.

But some Tory claims lately have been just too outrageous for us not to rake back over.

We've noted down some of the more obviously untrue claims by the party, and explained why they don't stand up.

We'll be adding to this list if more come in.

Tories have increased the number of armed police officers

Claim made by Theresa May in London speech, June 5, 2017:

We’ve increased the number of armed police officers.

This is misleading

The number of 'authorised firearms officers' dropped by more than 1,300 under the Tories, from 6,976 in March 2010 to 5,639 in March 2016.

Last year it was announced police will train an extra 1,500 firearms officers.

But this change is still under way, and it will only just bring numbers back above where they were in 2010.

(Image: Getty)

Jeremy Corbyn plans to raise the basic rate of income tax to 25p

Claim made on Twitter, during Andrew Neil's BBC One interview of Theresa May, May 22, 2017:

This is untrue.

Labour's manifesto does includes tax increases for people earning more than £80,000 a year

But the manifesto explicitly rules out rises in income tax for everyone else

Jeremy Corbyn wrote in 2015 that to fund social care, "we have to talk about tax.The basic rate of income tax was 25 per cent a generation ago; now it’s 20 per cent." That is a very long way off proposing a 25p rate in a manifesto

Jeremy Corbyn said terror attacks are our own fault

Claim made by Theresa May in a speech to the G7 summit. May 27, 2017:

"At the same time, Jeremy Corbyn has said that terror attacks in Britain are our own fault - and he has chosen to do that just a few days after one of the worst terrorist atrocities we have experienced in the United Kingdom."

This is untrue.

This refers to a speech Jeremy Corbyn gave in central London on May 26, 2017

In it he referred to the complex combination of factors that lead up to terror attacks

But he did not say they were "our own fault."

Here's what he said:

"That assessment in no way reduces the guilt of those who attack our children. Thoseterrorists will forever be reviled and implacably held to account for their actions.

"But an informed understanding of the causes of terrorism is an essential part of an effective response that will protect the security of our people, that fights rather than fuels terrorism.

"Protecting this country requires us to be both strong against terrorism and strong against the causes of terrorism. The blame is with the terrorists , but if we are to protect our people we must be honest about what threatens our security."

(Image: PA)

'Nothing has changed' about the dementia tax

Claim made by Theresa May at Welsh Tory manifesto launch, May 22, when she announced an overall cap on lifetime care costs:

"Nothing has changed! Nothing has changed!... We have not changed the principles of our policy that we set out in our manifesto. Those policies remain exactly the same. There will be aspects of how this operates that we will consult on through the Green Paper. We were honest that we were going to have a Green Paper and we would be consulting people about how the system operates."

This is untrue.

When the Tories announced their social care policy, it did not mention a cap

The Tory manifesto did not mention a cap

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt had said: "Not only are we dropping it [the cap], we're dropping it ahead of a general election and we're being completely explicit in our manifesto that we're dropping it. We're dropping it because we've looked again at this proposal and we don't think it's fair"

Notes to journalists on the original policy had said: "We believe this is fairer and more equitable than the current system and the cap recommended by the Dilnot Report"

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Labour will cut the inheritance tax threshold to £425,000

Claim made in a Tory press release on May 27, dubbing this measure the 'family homes tax' and accompanying reams of research about how it would hit key seats:

More than a quarter of detached homes will be hit with massive new Inheritance Tax bills under Corbyn’s plan to reduce the threshold to £425,000 – while almost one in 10 semis will be hit.

This is untrue.

It appears to based on one news story - from before Labour published its manifesto - predicting the manifesto would cut the threshold to £425,000.

When it then came out, the Labour manifesto instead said Labour will "reverse Tory giveaways" to inheritance tax.

This will cut the amount a couple can pass on to their children tax-free, including a family home, from £1m to £650,000.

But it does not say Labour will go further than that.

And asked to clarify, a Labour spokesman said: "The Conservatives' analysis of our policy is wrong. We do not plan to reduce the threshold to £425,000 but to £650,000, after a transfer to a spouse or partner."

The only other piece of evidence the Tories gave was a 2007 backbench MPs' motion, signed by Jeremy Corbyn , that said couples should not be able to 'pool' their inheritance tax allowance.

Even if this was Labour policy, it would make the threshold £325,000 not £425,000.

(Image: Getty)

Jeremy Corbyn talks about abolishing our army

Claim made by Theresa May launching the Welsh Labour manifesto on May 22:

A Labour party that first established our independent nuclear deterrent to keep our country safe, now led by a man who wants to get rid of it and even talks about abolishing our Army.

This is misleading.

This is a misrepresentation of a speech Corbyn gave in 2015, to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

He did not say the UK should unilaterally abolish its army.

Instead, he said it would be "wonderful" if every country abolished their armies

Here's what he did say:

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if every politician around the world instead of taking pride in the size of their Armed Forces did what Costa Rica have done and abolished their Army, and took pride in the fact they don't have an Army."

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Jeremy Corbyn thinks police should not shoot-to-kill during a terrorist rampage

Claim made by Theresa May in a column for the Sun on May 28:

"He does not think our armed police should use shoot-to-kill if an armed terrorist is on the rampage"

This is untrue.