Discussed the declining public trust in politicians, highlighting that 25 MPs have been suspended for misconduct since 2019. Called for a formal process to correct records in Hansard beyond just Ministers, advocating for a review of rules around calling out lies and ensuring honesty from Members of Parliament. Sir Chris Bryant argued it would be unfair to expect the Speaker to fact-check MPs and suggested considering an independent body for this purpose, ensuring confidence among MPs and public alike. He highlighted that without such measures, public trust in democracy is at risk.

She agrees with the hon. Gentleman's concerns but points out that existing solutions are not working and calls for a shift in rewarding those who stick by the truth. Ms Saville-Roberts emphasised the need to address political dishonesty because it rewards individuals for lying and does not penalise them, thereby polluting politics. Liz Saville-Roberts expressed concern about the impact of political dishonesty on public trust, citing examples such as 'Partygate' and misleading statements made during the conference recess. She proposed a private Member's Bill making it an offence for politicians to wilfully lie in their public statements, with penalties including fines and bans from standing for election.

The MP expressed concern over the loss of public trust in politicians due to the former Prime Minister's dishonesty during the pandemic. She advocated for an independent ethics and integrity commission to oversee ministerial conduct, prevent conflicts of interest for former Ministers, and enforce standards without political control.

Mr Thompson thanked the Member for Linlithgow and East Falkirk for opening the debate, commending those who signed petitions. He warned of an era of post-truth politics due to issues like Boris Johnson's dishonesty and Donald Trump's denialism in America. Emphasised the need for integrity and adherence to rules based on University College London research which highlighted 75% support for politicians acting within rules compared to just 6% supporting breaking them for better outcomes.

He highlights that only 17% of people in the UK say they are highly satisfied with democracy, worse than Canada and Germany. He criticises past political strategies like 'burying bad news' and 'dead catting'. Richard also expresses concerns about making lying a criminal offence for MPs as it could reduce public trust or even lead to politically motivated prosecutions. Mr Richard Foord suggested the need to discard political strategies that involve lying or misleading, advocating for honesty in politics. He agreed with Mr Thompson on the 'dead cat' strategy.