The Welsh Government has committed to making Wales the first country in the world to criminalise lying by politicians.
It’s set to introduce a bill that would see any elected member or candidate found guilty of “deliberate deception” removed from Welsh Parliament.
In December, surveys showed public trust in UK politicians had reached a 40-year low.
The Government plans for the law to take effect ahead of the Welsh elections in 2026.
Wales’ political lying policy
This week, members of the Welsh Parliament committed to create an “offence of deception” in politics after an agreement was made between two parties.
Under the law, it will be an offence for a member, or a candidate, to make or publish a statement that is known to be false or deceptive.
A bill will still need to be brought forward and voted on, which is planned to happen by 2026.
“We are here at the beginning of a global movement, to defend our democracy, to restore trust in the heart of our politics.
Democracy starts to break down if the electors can’t trust what the elected say… It’s a small minority of politicians, populist demagogues who deliberately distort the truth for their own political gain, but they poison the well for everyone… And it’s that problem that we must address.”
Adam Price, former leader of the Plaid Cymru party, who has led the calls for criminalising political lying.
Opposition
Opposition member James Evans raised concerns that the proposed law would undermine parliamentary privilege, which allows members to debate freely without fear of prosecution.
Evans said: “I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder every time I say something in here, fearing that a big corporation or a company is going to file a lawsuit against me for slander”.
He questioned the policy’s effectiveness, arguing that by prefacing statements with “in my opinion,” politicians could exploit a loophole.
Australia
Members leading the push looked to current truth in political advertising laws in South Australia. Since the 1980s, it has been a criminal offence for politicians to make false statements during an election campaign. Similar legislation was adopted by the ACT Government in 2020.
Research conducted by the Australia Institute after the failed referendum shows that 87% of Australians support the enactment of truth in political advertising laws before the next federal election.
