Welsh Government to ban politicians from lying

The Welsh government has pledged to propose legislation by 2026 that would allow for the removal of Senedd members who knowingly make misleading statements, according to BBC.

Mick Antoniw, the Welsh government’s counsel general, affirmed the government’s commitment to this principle.

“The Welsh government will bring forward legislation before 2026 for the disqualification of members and candidates found guilty of deliberate deception through an independent judicial process, and will invite the committee to make proposals to that effect,” he told the Senedd on Tuesday evening.

“I’m committed to that, the Welsh government’s committed to that and I believe now, as a Senedd as a whole, we’re all committed to that.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price presented his party’s version of this proposal.

However, before the proposal could be voted on, the Labour government announced it would introduce its own legislation by the next Senedd election.

Mr Price had argued: “Trust in what we say as politicians has fallen to an all-time low.

“The motivation for this section is one that I know we all agree with, which is how can we restore and rebuild and maintain that trust in democracy.”

Former leader of opposition party Plaid Cymru, Adam Price, said the deal would see Wales become the first country to outlaw political lying.