Would You Support This Bill?

[Political|Discussor]

So, would you support this bill?

The
Elected Representatives (Prohibition of Deception) Bill

requesting accountability through independent legal redress for misrepresentation or misleading statements or actions by our Elected Representatives.
(In other words ask your MP to support a law giving genuine accountability for deception)

To the House of Commons,
The Petition of citizens of the United Kingdom Declares that prior to the next general election it is imperative for all political parties to show their commitment to honesty, transparency and accountability; and further declares that a Private Member’s Bill entitled the Elected Representatives (Prohibition of Deception) Bill, presented by Adam Price MP on 17 October 2007, sought to achieve this aim by introducing legislation to protect the contract between the electorate and their representatives.

The Petitioners therefore request that the Houses of Commons urges Her Majesty’s Government to make provision for independent legal redress for misrepresentation or misleading statements or actions by elected representatives, by bringing forward proposals in line with those set out in the Elected Representatives (Prohibition of Deception) Bill, and to provide time for the House to debate these proposals.

To sum it up it - this bill would essentially make it a crime for MP's to lie. What do you guys think? If you vote please post your thoughts too.

(you can sign the actual petition here or learn more about it)

Yes, No, Maybe?

 

[liblady]

So, would you support this bill?



To sum it up it - this bill would essentially make it a crime for MP's to lie. What do you guys think? If you vote please post your thoughts too.

(you can sign the actual petition here or learn more about it)

Yes, No, Maybe?

too difficult to police.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Good ole transparency and accountability!

Haha - it would never fly in the US.

 

[liblady]

Good ole transparency and accountability!

Haha - it would never fly in the US.

it's a nice thought....but not practical.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

it's a nice thought....but not practical.

Yep - nice thought but not practical.

In support - some states have adopted legislation that concerns deception in a relationship (like lying and saying you're a millionair when you're not - or lying and saying you are male when you are actually a surgically altered female, etc)
And libel, slander and false advertising are already *not* protected by the first amendment.

Opposition - it's redundant - by taking oath of office one already pledges their honor and loyalty and subjects theirself to the laws of the land and the good will of the people.

 

[jamesrage]

So, would you support this bill?



To sum it up it - this bill would essentially make it a crime for MP's to lie. What do you guys think? If you vote please post your thoughts too.

(you can sign the actual petition here or learn more about it)

Yes, No, Maybe?

I would support such a thing, but I am not a British citizen so I can not sign such a petition. I am all for transparency and accountability. If British politicians are anything like American politicians then you might want to make a law requiring that they themselves read the bills before voting on them and posting them online 72 hours or longer (depending on the number of pages) before voting on them. there should be severe penalties for those in office who lie or mislead.

 

[lizzie]

Since I am American, my opinion doesn't matter, but if our own politicians were considering the same type of legislation, I would not support it. My stance on criminality is that dangerous or malicious direct actions should be deemed illegal, but not thoughts, intent, or dishonesty. If someone lies, the person(s) on the receiving end of those lies have the responsibility to check the facts for themselves. Lying may be a character flaw, but character and thought cannot be legislated. Action can.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Lying is acceptable or unacceptable depending on the circumstances - say, if someone lied about Mrs Smith - and accused her of raping children then Mrs Smith would have to prove that she didn't do it and prove that the person who accused her did so with the intent to ruin her (personally, socially, financially, something like that) before she can hope for a judge to rule that the person is guilty of libel or slander.

I think that, when it comes to politicians in the US and other democracies where the people are the constitutents and of high importance, there are so many more things to the situation than bringing troops home and voting against pork-barrel bills.
Sometimes the intent is still there and quite genuine - but the ability to make all those wants, desires and campaign promises to "come true" depend on the legislation, other laws passed, your contengiencies, party lines, committees, caucuses, and so on - so forth.

In the US the people elect the Representatives and the President. In our system the elected official really needs to stay in the good-graces of the people, lest they not get reelected or lose other means of support.

However - in contrast...I don't know everything but I do understand some basics - in Britain they don't have a 'president.' They have a prime minister. The prime minister is elected by the parliament and the minister's cabinet (his 'advisors' and such) all come from the parliament.
The people elect the members of parliament, not the prime minister. . . so, applying that concept to this bill, the bill makes sense.

But applying it to a different system of government (like ours) and it looses it's importance.

 

[Joe1991]

To sum it up it - this bill would essentially make it a crime for MP's to lie. What do you guys think?

Silly law. Like used car salesman, lying is inherent in their craft.

You'd have better luck teaching cats to swim.

 

[Redress]

How do you enforce it? Is a politician lying, or does he believe what he says? Most of the "lying" political figures do is not so much lying as cherry picking reports, reporting on the one most favorable to them, and ignoring the others. Would that be punishable?

 

[tjinta ibis]

A truthful politician is an oxy moron. They can't chew gum and tell the truth at the same time. Congress would be silent, and Obama would have to stay off the air. Anyway why should politicians have to behave in a way that none of us can?