The Welsh Government has committed to introduce a law which will make it illegal for politicians to lie.
Mick Antoniw, the Labour-led Government’s counsel general, said it would disqualify Members of the Senedd and candidates from the house if they were found guilty of deliberate deception.
During the debate, Alun Davies, a Labour member, accused Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Tories, of tweeting a lie on Tuesday after he claimed Sir Keir’s party wanted to pay illegal immigrants £1,600 a month.
He said: “This takes our politics into the gutter and stops us engaging with each other in real political debate.”
The law would be introduced ahead of the Senedd elections in 2026.
Mr Antoniw said: “The Welsh Government will bring forward legislation before 2026 for the disqualification of members and candidates found guilty of deliberate deception, through an independent judicial process.”
He said the details of how the law would work needed to be ironed out and called for cross-party cooperation.
Adam Price, the former Plaid Cymru leader who has led calls for such a law to be introduced, said the announcement was “globally pioneering”.
He said: “What has been announced is truly historic, globally pioneering. We have a commitment from our Government that our democracy will be the first in the world to introduce a general prohibition on deception by politicians.
“We are at the beginning of a global movement. We are going to outlaw political lying.”
inb4 The whole Welsh political class ends up in prison
This will change barely anything. Dogs whistle, half truths or facts based on false / biased study will allow politicians to go around.
“I didn’t lie, I was given inaccurate information”
The whole world will be watching closely.
If this works, this will be a game-changer in politics. (As much as I hate the term)
can we have that mommy?
If they can’t lie, what will politicians have to say?
Why didn’t anyone think of this before? 🤔
> “The Welsh Government will bring forward legislation before 2026 for the disqualification of members and candidates found guilty of deliberate deception, through an independent judicial process.”
The decision-making “independent process” for something like that would need to be absurdly robust. Absolutely bulletproof in methodology, with extremely clear and transparent rules that are consistently applied, and without anything or anyone involved that could even hint at political leanings – the accusation of ‘silencing the Government’s opponents’ would be *incredibly* easy to make. Luckily, I’m sure they’re well on top of the detail on this-
> He said the details of how the law would work needed to be ironed out and called for cross-party cooperation.
Oh.
“Have you ever had homosexual fantasies while masturbating?”
You aren’t a real politician unless you know how to be ‘economical with the truth’
What a way to flood your own courts.
We did it boys, lying is no more
We really need a “pinch of salt” flair for any link shared by the Telegraph. Too many people think it’s still the old newspaper, back when they had editors and a sense of responsibility.
“What I said is what I believed to be true. I cannot account for my ignorance. You cannot prove I willingly misled people.”
17 comments
**From The Telegraph:**
The Welsh Government has committed to introduce a law which will make it illegal for politicians to lie.
Mick Antoniw, the Labour-led Government’s counsel general, said it would disqualify Members of the Senedd and candidates from the house if they were found guilty of deliberate deception.
During the debate, Alun Davies, a Labour member, accused Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Tories, of tweeting a lie on Tuesday after he claimed Sir Keir’s party wanted to pay illegal immigrants £1,600 a month.
He said: “This takes our politics into the gutter and stops us engaging with each other in real political debate.”
The law would be introduced ahead of the Senedd elections in 2026.
Mr Antoniw said: “The Welsh Government will bring forward legislation before 2026 for the disqualification of members and candidates found guilty of deliberate deception, through an independent judicial process.”
He said the details of how the law would work needed to be ironed out and called for cross-party cooperation.
Adam Price, the former Plaid Cymru leader who has led calls for such a law to be introduced, said the announcement was “globally pioneering”.
He said: “What has been announced is truly historic, globally pioneering. We have a commitment from our Government that our democracy will be the first in the world to introduce a general prohibition on deception by politicians.
“We are at the beginning of a global movement. We are going to outlaw political lying.”
**More here:** [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/07/03/welsh-government-to-ban-politicians-from-lying/](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/07/03/welsh-government-to-ban-politicians-from-lying/)
inb4 The whole Welsh political class ends up in prison
This will change barely anything. Dogs whistle, half truths or facts based on false / biased study will allow politicians to go around.
“I didn’t lie, I was given inaccurate information”
The whole world will be watching closely.
If this works, this will be a game-changer in politics. (As much as I hate the term)
can we have that mommy?
If they can’t lie, what will politicians have to say?
Why didn’t anyone think of this before? 🤔
> “The Welsh Government will bring forward legislation before 2026 for the disqualification of members and candidates found guilty of deliberate deception, through an independent judicial process.”
The decision-making “independent process” for something like that would need to be absurdly robust. Absolutely bulletproof in methodology, with extremely clear and transparent rules that are consistently applied, and without anything or anyone involved that could even hint at political leanings – the accusation of ‘silencing the Government’s opponents’ would be *incredibly* easy to make. Luckily, I’m sure they’re well on top of the detail on this-
> He said the details of how the law would work needed to be ironed out and called for cross-party cooperation.
Oh.
“Have you ever had homosexual fantasies while masturbating?”
You aren’t a real politician unless you know how to be ‘economical with the truth’
What a way to flood your own courts.
We did it boys, lying is no more
We really need a “pinch of salt” flair for any link shared by the Telegraph. Too many people think it’s still the old newspaper, back when they had editors and a sense of responsibility.
“What I said is what I believed to be true. I cannot account for my ignorance. You cannot prove I willingly misled people.”
Get ready for some “lawyer” language
It’s not a lie
If you believe it.
lmao