Dear Friend,
YOUR SUPPORT COULD MAKE LYING IN POLITICS A CRIME
Only 14% of the public trusts politicians to tell the truth.
That's not a crisis of perception. It's a crisis of accountability.
And right now, we're watching it happen in real time.
THE PRIME MINISTER MAY HAVE MISLED PARLIAMENT. AND FACED NO CONSEQUENCES.
Keir Starmer told the public that Peter Mandelson passed security vetting for the role of US Ambassador.
He didn't.
A former Foreign Office official confirmed it. The vetting failed. The appointment went ahead anyway. No. 10 is accused of pressuring officials to rush it through.
So MPs called for an investigation.
They voted on whether to refer the Prime Minister to the Commons Privileges Committee. The body that exists precisely to investigate whether Parliament has been misled.
Labour whipped its MPs to vote it down.
335 to 223. The investigation was blocked.
THE PRIME MINISTER PROTECTED HIMSELF WITH NUMBERS. NOT TRANSPARENCY.
Under our current laws, that's perfectly legal.
A civil servant who misled you could face prosecution.
But their minister, or their Prime Minister, cannot.
That gap is the problem. And it's the gap we're working to close.
WE'VE SPENT SEVEN YEARS CHANGING THAT. AND IT'S WORKING.
Over 200,000 people signed our petition.
We drafted a Bill. We built cross-party support. We worked with MPs and legal experts.
And in 2024, the Welsh Government became the first legislature in the world to commit to banning deliberate political deception.
That happened because of people like you.
BUT WESTMINSTER STILL HAS NO LAW AGAINST LYING TO THE PUBLIC.
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill is now in Parliament. It creates new criminal offences for misleading the public.
But it covers civil servants, not the politicians who lead them.
Labour MP Luke Myer has tabled an amendment to fix that. To extend the law to politicians directly.
The next crucial vote comes in the House of Lords.
WITH YOUR SUPPORT, WE CAN WIN IT.
If you chip in you help to fund the briefings, the legal work, and the cross-party relationships that make change happen.
It funds the research showing 9 in 10 people support this reform.
And it keeps us at the table when decisions are made.
With gratitude,
Compassion in Politics
P.S. The Lords' debate is coming. The Privileges Committee vote showed exactly what we're up against. When Parliament tries to hold the Prime Minister to account, the whips step in. By chipping in today you help us build the law that makes that impossible. Please give what you can.