Welsh Senedd members consider criminalising lying by politicians
Members of the Senedd, the Welsh parliament, are intent on tackling this age-old problem by bringing in legislation that bans politicians from telling untruths.
The former Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price, who is leading the charge against the liars, said that in a world of post-truth politics, populism, disinformation and deep fakes, and with elections taking place in the UK and US this year, the issue was vital.
“The public are rightly tired of seeing certain politicians lie with impunity,” he said. “It is not enough for us as lawmakers to throw up our hands in disgust. We have the power to change the rules so all politicians act with integrity, honesty and respect.”
Price has been campaigning on truth and trust in politics since the mid 2000s when he tried to impeach Tony Blair over the Iraq war.
He said: “Then it was almost laughed out of court with comments such as: ‘There aren’t prisons big enough’. I think over the course of two decades it’s come from the margins to be seen as a serious proposition.
