Politics and lying

This week I finished reading The Rise of Political Lying, by Peter Osborne. It has been a timely read, considering that the penultimate week of electioneering has also focused on issues of truth and lying. Reading by night and following the slinging match by day, I have felt better equipped, in a general sense, to separate the chaff from the wheat.

However, it is the specifics, rather than the generalities about the devices used by politicians to evade the truth, that I find alarming. Meticulously researched and well sourced, it describes how lying has become routine. Whether it is complete falsehood, deceit or the deliberate omission of crucial information, real examples are given of each type of turpitude that now afflicts politics. I would recommend this accessible book to anyone interested in getting an insight into contemporary British politics.

In 2001, 59% of the electorate came out to vote. An even lower turnout is being predicted for this year’s election. There are no doubt complex reasons for this, but surely the rise of the culture of ‘spin’, a word that encapsulates the ills described in Peter Osborne’s book, must contribute to the fact that the public has become turned off from politics. Lies are disempowering. If we know that we are constantly being bombarded with lies, we just lose interest (and faith). Yet politics matters.

So what can be done?

Though the book is capable of making us lose faith completely in politics, it also contains a redemptive idea- the creation of something similar to Fact Check as found in the US. This is a group that monitors the factual accuracy of political statements. Such an idea is not totally unknown here. The Institute for Fiscal Studies already provides independent scrutiny of government and opposition tax policies. An organisation that is independent of political parties but commands their respect would be an important step in restoring faith in politics.