Our campaign to outlaw political deception has just had a major victory!
The Welsh Parliament’s Standards Committee has taken up our proposal and recommended that candidates and campaign managers who deliberately lie to the public should be guilty of a crime. We have been running this campaign for six years and the hard work is paying off!
You don’t have to look very hard to see the shock waves and very real harm that is created by deliberate political deception.
This recommendation would mean that any candidate tempted to borrow from Trump’s playbook could find themselves barred from office. Just imagine if this measure had been on the statute books in the USA!
For too long, we’ve been told that lying in politics is inevitable, that it’s simply part of the game. But together we are showing that there is something that can be done.
But there is still more work to do and with the far right rising across Europe, there is not a moment to lose.
We need to make sure the Welsh Parliament applies the same standards to serving politicians. No one should be able to deceive the electorate. And then we need to take the campaign to Westminster.
Help us take the campaign to Westminster
If Wales can take this step, why can’t Westminster? The dangers are the same on both sides of the Severn. Left unchecked, lies will continue to corrode trust, distort elections and weaken democracy itself. If our leaders are serious about restoring faith in politics, they must be willing to act.
Westminster cannot afford to look away. The UK is still reeling from the lies of Brexit, and misinformation continues to poison our politics. Over 202,000 people signed our petition calling for a UK-wide law, and last month, 40 prominent academics, politicians and civil society leaders backed our proposal and urged the Prime Minister to follow Wales’ lead.
The writing is on the wall. Will Westminster’s politicians read it before it’s too late?
It is our intention to make sure they do, and with your help we can. You have helped us drive change in Wales. Now we need to do it across the whole of the UK.
We need your help to make sure this happens.
One of the most effective ways you can support this movement is by becoming a regular donor. Your monthly donation will enable us to sustain our work, keep up the pressure, and fight for real accountability in politics. Even a modest contribution can make a difference.
If we want this victory to lead to real, lasting change, not just in Wales but across the UK, we need everyone who believes in political integrity to stand with us.
For too long, we have been told that lies in politics are inevitable. This report proves that’s not true. Now, we need to see it through.
With hope and determination,
Compassion in Politics
PS if you want to read more about this issue, take a look at our Co-Director’s opinion piece in the Byline Times here!