If you were unkind or cynical, you could describe politics as a marriage of convenience between the science of government and the art of lying.
Politicians – as a group – are considered to be dishonest. “No shit, Sherlock”. Polling from 2020 found that most 79% of those who responded thought politicians were only truthful up to half of the time, with 42% believing that politicians were only truthful for a fifth of the time1.
In the same poll, 68% agreed that any politician who lied during the 2019 UK General Election campaign should be treated as having committed a criminal offence.
That’s not to single out politicians. Other professions considered to be equally untrustworthy include journalists, people who work in finance, advertisers and the civil service2.
But it’s one thing to complain about something and another to attempt to do something about it. Step forward Plaid Cymru’s Adam Price MS.
1. Compassion in Politics (2020). “Public agrees: politicians who deliberately lie should be treated as criminals”. Available at: https://www.compassioninpolitics.com/lying_politicians_criminals
2. Ipsos (23th October 2023). “Politicians the least trusted profession, while doctors the most trustworthy.” Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/politicians-least-trusted-profession-while-doctors-most-trustworthy
Criminal offences relating to lying in politics already exist.
During an election campaign, it’s an offence to make a false statement about an opposing candidate’s character or make a false statement on a nomination paper. Other lies might be covered by laws on false representation, libel and slander.
The proposed amendments
In March 2023, Adam Price attempted to introduce an amendment to the Senedd (Members & Elections) Bill (pdf – p2-3) which would have disqualified anyone from standing for the Senedd who had been convicted of an offence of deception in the four years before a Senedd election.
The offence was defined as when an MS, or candidate to be an MS, “wilfully presents or makes a statement, that they know to be false, as fact” with the intent of “misleading the public or Senedd”.
Exceptions to this were included such as national security issues, reasonably inferred matters of opinion, or when a false statement is withdrawn and accompanied by an apology within 14 days of it being made.
Adam Price tabled a similar amendment to the Election & Elected Bodies Bill in July 2023, which was rejected by 26 votes to 12.
The proposed Bill
There’s an expectation that the Senedd’s Standards Committee will look into a proposed law on political lying/deception as part of an inquiry into member accountability.
During Vaughan Gething’s stint as First Minister, the Welsh Government committed to bring forward a law before the 2026 Senedd election.
Since the change in First Minister and Cabinet, it’s unclear whether the Welsh Government will continue to support that work having already dropped plans to introduce gender candidate quotas.
