The Welsh government has vowed to make lying in politics illegal, potentially setting a precedent for other governments, including Westminster, to follow suit. Compassion in Politics, a lobby group, has been campaigning for criminal penalties for political lying since 2019, and a petition has already attracted over 200,000 signatures. In May 2024, an Opinium survey conducted for the organisation found that 72% of those surveyed thought that politicians found guilty of wilful deception should face criminal penalties.
The Welsh government recently committed to passing legislation that would make lying illegal for Senedd members and candidates. This would disqualify politicians found guilty of deliberate deception following an independent judicial process. The move is unprecedented, with other countries in the world only having limited penalties for politicians who lie during election campaigns or while giving evidence to committees.
Jennifer Nadel of Compassion in Politics argues that trust is essential for a healthy democracy and without it, democracy is undermined. Last year, Ipsos found that only 9% of British adults trust politicians to tell the truth following Partygate and other scandals. Nadel fears we are slipping into a post-truth era, with the US cited as a warning of what can happen if unchecked.
Campaigners recognise that a key challenge to legislating against political lying is the right to free speech, but Nadel argues that lawmakers must address this issue. In a climate where the majority of politicians tell the truth, the few bad apples are damaging the reputation of the entire sector. Nadel believes that lying legislation would protect free speech since it can act as a deterrent to dishonesty while ensuring that the honest majority is not tainted
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