Co-conspirators may remember Welsh Labour’s bizarre plans to legislate for an “offence of deception” by 2026. It was hailed as a world-first by Plaid Cymru’s Adam Price, who struck a deal with Labour to get it through:
“What has just been announced by the counsel general is truly historic, in fact it is globally pioneering. We now have a commitment from the government that our democracy will be the first – the first in the world to introduce a general prohibition on deliberate deception by politicians.”
Under the proposals 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 policy with more holes than swiss cheese…
Shadow Paymaster General John Glen asked the Labour government in Westminster if it plans on doing the same. Constitution Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has now said no plans exist “to bring forward legislation to create an equivalent criminal offence for elected representatives.” He says it’s for the Commons to decide if a statement is deliberately misleading. No Starmerite lying tribunals for politicians – the coppers will still be at your door if you say something ‘wrong‘ on the internet, though…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”