whilst Westminster argues facts, figures and betting scandals in blissful ignorance of the damage to public trust, Wales has quietly been introducing a legal solution - the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill.
section 64 deals with campaigning candidates and existing representatives.
if they deliberately make misleading statements of fact, they have 14 days to clarify, correct or withdraw the statement... or argue the case in court.
Final vote is on 2nd July.
if it passes, Wales will have led the way on a critical malaise in democratic politics - public trust. currently at an all time low of 9%.
to date, Conservative, Plaid Cymru & Lib Dem are united in supporting section 64.
if the alliance holds - and we'll find out on this Tuesday's vote - the law will stop populist politicians feeding public distrust with misleading statements.
extraordinarily, Wales's Labour government seems to have turned against it - preferring the existing mechanisms of accountability that have presided over four decades of decline in public trust.
how low does public trust have to go before change ?
just thinkin.
watch the debate/history being made here at 15.30 UK time. on Tuesday 2nd July.
See
UPDATE 03.07.24
The Plaid Cymru politician Adam Price said: “What has been announced is truly historic, globally pioneering. 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.
We are at the beginning of a global movement. We are going to outlaw political lying.”
UPDATE 29.06.
Not quite ignored by the mainstream media... though much more local coverage