Trust in UK politics has hit rock bottom, with voters feeling more betrayed than ever. The culprit? A widespread belief that some politicians are getting away with lying to the public. Research from 2022 backs this up, showing that the British public overwhelmingly wants deceitful politicians to face the music.
While the UK general election is hogging the spotlight, there’s a groundbreaking proposal brewing in Wales that could shake things up. The Welsh Senedd is considering a new law that would make it a criminal offense for politicians to lie. If this goes through, Wales would become the first country in the world to slap criminal charges on lying politicians.
Leading the charge is former Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price, who has called out the “credibility gap” in UK politics as a “gaping chasm.” Price has been on this mission for years, starting with his campaign to impeach Tony Blair over the Iraq War.
Price’s first attempt to introduce a lying offense fell flat when the Senedd expanded its size in May. But now, a cross-party committee has backed his proposals, pushing them closer to becoming law.
The plan? Make it a crime for any Senedd member or candidate to knowingly publish false or misleading statements. The clock would be ticking, though – any proceedings would need to start within six months of the offense. But there’s a catch: if the false statement was just an opinion or was retracted with an apology within 14 days, it wouldn’t be considered a crime.
This proposed law is still in the pipeline, with plenty of debate ahead. While Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Conservatives, and the Welsh Liberal Democrats are on board, Welsh Labour isn’t convinced. The Welsh Counsel General, Mick Antoniw, agrees with the “general principle” but warns that the amendment might end up as “bad and ineffective law.”
There’s also the question of whether the Senedd even has the power to make this kind of law. Creating new criminal offenses might be a step too far for Wales’ devolved powers, potentially sparking a constitutional showdown similar to what Scotland faced when its gender recognition bill was blocked by the UK government.
Is this law necessary? Some argue that existing rules, like the Welsh ministerial code and the Nolan principles, should be enough to keep politicians in check. But with trust in politicians at an all-time low, enforcing these standards might require more than just a slap on the wrist.
Politically, scrapping the anti-lying amendments could backfire, further eroding trust in those elected to public office. This issue is more than just a Welsh concern – it highlights a UK-wide crisis in political trust.
It’s a damning sign of the times that a law telling politicians not to lie is even on the table, but it’s clear that the political culture needs a serious shake-up.
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