Should lying in politics be a criminal offence?

Welsh government considers new crime of deliberate deception by an elected official

Photo collage of a man with his fingers crossed behind his back, and many mouths in the background
(Image credit: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images)

"Lies have always been regarded as justifiable tools in political dealings," wrote the philosopher Hannah Arendt. That's not true in Wales, though, where the Senedd is considering a law to bar politicians from office if they lie.

If passed, the world-first law would mean anyone "found guilty of deliberate lying" would be disqualified from being a member of, or standing for, the Senedd. But the law "would not apply to matters of belief, opinion, or simple misunderstanding", said The i Paper.

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Richard Windsor is a freelance writer for The Week Digital. He began his journalism career writing about politics and sport while studying at the University of Southampton. He then worked across various football publications before specialising in cycling for almost nine years, covering major races including the Tour de France and interviewing some of the sport’s top riders. He led Cycling Weekly’s digital platforms as editor for seven of those years, helping to transform the publication into the UK’s largest cycling website. He now works as a freelance writer, editor and consultant.