Can we trust anyone anymore? If the fish rots from the head down, then the answer must be no. Not just Britain, but the world is run by liars. Or is a more positive view possible?
The man who said 'no' but meant 'yes'
Can we trust anyone anymore? If the fish rots from the head down, then the answer must be no. Not just Britain, but the world is run by liars. Or is a more positive view possible?
On 8 December 2020, a Labour MP, Catherine West, asked Boris Johnson if he knew whether or not a party had taken place in 10 Downing Street on 13 November. Johnson's response: "No, but I am sure that whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times."
It seems like a clear enough answer. So when ITV published photos of Johnson attending a party on 13 November 2020, glass of wine in hand, many expected that he would finally own up to a lie.
This would not be any old lie. Under the Ministerial CodeA code of conduct that applies to ministers. They are supposed to resign if they break it, but they cannot be forced to do so, and it is administered by the prime minister themself., "knowingly misleading ParliamentThe term used when a minister intentionally uses false information in an address to the House of Commons. Unintentionally offering false information is not punishable provided the minister corrects the record afterwards." is a serious matter that should ordinarily result in resignation.
Yet no-one expects that Johnson will resign over this. After all, his critics claim, he has built his career on telling lies and undermining constitutional principles.
In 2019, his attempt to prorogue Parliament to prevent further discussion of Brexit was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme CourtThe highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions.. And he won the general election later that year by promising his deal would resolve the Brexit question once and for all. Now, he is opening up that deal again and claiming he never supported the Northern Ireland Protocol he negotiated.
The new instalment in the Partygate scandal comes hot on the heels of another discrepancy in the government's story, over a meeting between the prime minister and Sue GrayA senior civil servant who entered the public eye for the first time when she was tasked with investigating lockdown breaches in government. In 2024, she was briefly Keir Starmer's chief of staff..
On Monday morning, a minister claimed that it was Gray who requested the meeting. The next day, however, Johnson's spokesperson had to clarify that Downing Street officials had suggested it.
It is hardly surprising that faith in political institutions is at an all-time low. The prime minister, his ministers, the police - who handed out a fine to someone else at the same event, but did not fine Johnson for his attendance - all seem to be pulling the wool over our eyes.
And it is not just a British problem. Some think the world is run by liars. Indian prime minister Narendra ModiThe prime minister of India. He inspires passionate support from many in his country, but his critics regard him as populist, anti-Muslim and authoritarian. has been accused of manipulating the figures on deaths from Covid-19.
Former US president Donald Trump was a famous liar who once managed to tell 60 lies in a single speech. His successor is no stranger to lying either: Joe Biden has made easily disprovable claims about his past, stretching back decades.
King of the liars is Vladimir Putin. He still insists that he has not invaded Ukraine, that the Ukrainians want to be liberated from Nazi oppressors, that he did not try to kill his political opponent Alexei Navalny - the list goes on.
It can seem like those who choose not to lie are simply ignored until it is too late, like Greta Thunberg and generations of climate scientists who told the truth about climate breakdown.
But some think this is too pessimistic. After all, Johnson's popularity ratings have slumped. Trump was voted out of office. Other lying populists, like Jair BolsonaroThe right wing Brazilian president from 2019 to 2022. in Brazil, look likely to go the same way.
In the end, they argue, people tire of the endless lies. And then the truth has a chance to shine again.
<h5 class=" eplus-wrapper">Can we trust anyone anymore?</h5>
Yes: Lying has diminishing returnsThe principle that the gains from a particular action will fall over time.. It might work for a little while, but in the end people get tired of being taken for a fool. Eventually they will turn to someone who respects them enough to tell them the truth.
No: At least in the short term, lying works. And if you lie well enough you can persuade people to see the truth as lies. When no-one can agree on a common truth, there is no way of calling out a lie.
Or... Lies, truth - these only matter so far. What really counts is having power. Johnson is in power, so no-one else can force him to resign. Those in power will always define the truth.
Ministerial Code - A code of conduct that applies to ministers. They are supposed to resign if they break it, but they cannot be forced to do so, and it is administered by the prime minister themself.
Knowingly misleading Parliament - The term used when a minister intentionally uses false information in an address to the House of Commons. Unintentionally offering false information is not punishable provided the minister corrects the record afterwards.
Supreme Court - The highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions.
Sue Gray - A senior civil servant who entered the public eye for the first time when she was tasked with investigating lockdown breaches in government. In 2024, she was briefly Keir Starmer's chief of staff.
Narendra Modi - The prime minister of India. He inspires passionate support from many in his country, but his critics regard him as populist, anti-Muslim and authoritarian.
Jair Bolsonaro - The right wing Brazilian president from 2019 to 2022.
Diminishing returns - The principle that the gains from a particular action will fall over time.
The man who said ‘no’ but meant ‘yes’

Glossary
Ministerial Code - A code of conduct that applies to ministers. They are supposed to resign if they break it, but they cannot be forced to do so, and it is administered by the prime minister themself.
Knowingly misleading Parliament - The term used when a minister intentionally uses false information in an address to the House of Commons. Unintentionally offering false information is not punishable provided the minister corrects the record afterwards.
Supreme Court - The highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions.
Sue Gray - A senior civil servant who entered the public eye for the first time when she was tasked with investigating lockdown breaches in government. In 2024, she was briefly Keir Starmer's chief of staff.
Narendra Modi - The prime minister of India. He inspires passionate support from many in his country, but his critics regard him as populist, anti-Muslim and authoritarian.
Jair Bolsonaro - The right wing Brazilian president from 2019 to 2022.
Diminishing returns - The principle that the gains from a particular action will fall over time.