The government of Wales has moved forward with legislation that would disqualify politicians from serving in its parliament if they were found to have been deliberately deceptive.
The legislation, which was promised by Counsel General Mick Antoniw, faced a contentious reception in the Parliament. It will make Wales the first country in the world to pass such legislation.
A Contentious Path to Victory
Wales’s governing Labour Party risked losing a vote as it tried to stop a smaller pro-Welsh-independence party, Plaid Cymru, from passing their own version of the ban.
In the end, Labour minister Lee Waters made a deal with Plaid Cymru’s members to avoid an embarrassing defeat. The government ultimately won by 26-13 votes, with 13 members abstaining.
Advocates For Legislation Celebrate
Plaid Cymru’s Adam Price, who had led the effort for anti-lying legislation, said the legislation would be “historic [and] globally pioneering.”
He added, “We have a commitment from our government that our democracy will be the first in the world to introduce a general prohibition on deception by politicians.”
Legislation Could Take Years To Become Law
Counsel General Mick Antoniw said, “The Welsh government will bring forward legislation before 2026 for the disqualification of members and candidates found guilty of deliberate deception, though an independent judicial process.”
While emphasizing the importance of such legislation – saying it was a “matter that goes to the heart of everyone” – he added that there were a number of procedures that must be completed before it becomes law.
Uncertainty Remains
Among the stages the proposed legislation will have to go through is a standards committee, where it will be dissected it further detail.
For now, it remains unclear if lying will be made a civil sanction or criminal offense. Plaid’s Price said the legislation will recognize that “existing mechanisms to ensure public trust and confidence in politics have failed”.
A Darker Political Landscape
Labour parliamentarian Lee Waters said, “no doubt, politics in this country has become darker.”
He said he had seen “lying, manipulation, racist abuse, arson” in the area he represents and added, “It’s been an awful, upsetting experience seeing ugliness becoming quietly normalized.”
Support For Legislation Isn’t Universal
Almost all politicians in the Welsh Parliament expressed support for the message of the legislation, but many still had concerns about the specifics of the legislation.
Peter Fox, a Welsh Conservative politician, said that Antoniw’s proposal “might not give the parliament time to enable things to go forward.”
Social Media Reacts
On social media, many people voiced support for the legislation, with one X/Twitter user posting, “this is huge, I’ve been wishing for this for years.” Another said the legislation would make Wales “one of the most advanced democracies in the world.”
However, others wanted the legislation to go further, with some wanting assurance that lying would be made a criminal offense. Some were skeptical of how effective this legislation would be, with one person quipping, “If any Welsh politician tells you this will stop Welsh politicians lying, they’re a liar.”
Britain’s General Election
Wales, which is one of four nations in the UK, has a devolved parliament that has been led by the Labour Party ever since its creation.
The UK held a nationwide general election earlier this week, which resulted in a landslide victory for the Labour Party and a record-breaking defeat for the Conservatives.
Campaigners Celebrate Legislation
Jennifer Nadel, who is co-director of the thinktank Compassion in Politics, welcomed the Welsh legislation and said, “Public confidence in politicians is at an all-time low. This move is the beginning of a political reset.”
She added, “Voters want honesty and this means that Wales will become the first country to insist that politicians and candidates are obliged by law to tell the truth.”
