Misrepresentation of the People Act
Encyclopedia
The Misrepresentation of the People Act is a proposed Act of Parliament
in the UK. The Bill
had its First Reading on 17 October 2007; its Second Reading and first vote was on 19 October 2007, so far 37 of 646 MP's support the billhttp://www.ministry-of-truth.net/mpscoreboard.php. The Bill resulted from The Ministry of Truth
, an 11 October 2007 BBC
television documentary by Richard Symons in the Why democracy?
season. Various experts in the field of politics were asked about the possibility to legally prosecute politicians for lying (in their function), so they could be barred from ever representing the people as politicians again. Various members of parliament were asked if they would put this act before parliament, and one agreed, Adam Price
. Many others agreed to the principle, but not the method. The original 'cheeky' title had to be adapted and the full title became A Bill to create offences in relation to the publication of false or misleading statements by elected representatives; and for connected purposes. The content was, however, left largely intact.
The documentary started with four principles:
Among the interviewees, there was general consent to the first three points, but not the fourth. There were several objections and counterarguments:
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
in the UK. The Bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
had its First Reading on 17 October 2007; its Second Reading and first vote was on 19 October 2007, so far 37 of 646 MP's support the billhttp://www.ministry-of-truth.net/mpscoreboard.php. The Bill resulted from The Ministry of Truth
Spirit Level Film
Spirit Level Film is a British film production and distribution company specialising in political documentaries and motoring films. It was founded in 2001 by Richard Symons.- Produced and distributed titles :*The Snake and the Stallion...
, an 11 October 2007 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television documentary by Richard Symons in the Why democracy?
Why Democracy?
Why Democracy? is a documentary film series produced by Steps International. The series consists of 10 films depicting independent documentary filmmakers personal perception of and experience with democracy, and was broadcast by 42 different broadcasters worldwide between the 8th and the 18th of...
season. Various experts in the field of politics were asked about the possibility to legally prosecute politicians for lying (in their function), so they could be barred from ever representing the people as politicians again. Various members of parliament were asked if they would put this act before parliament, and one agreed, Adam Price
Adam Price
Adam Price is a politician in Wales, and former Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr. He was elected to Parliament in the 2001 general election and re-elected in 2005 but stood down at the 2010 election...
. Many others agreed to the principle, but not the method. The original 'cheeky' title had to be adapted and the full title became A Bill to create offences in relation to the publication of false or misleading statements by elected representatives; and for connected purposes. The content was, however, left largely intact.
The documentary started with four principles:
- We, the people, are sovereign
- We grant this sovereignty to our elected representatives in parliament (we are their employers)
- Our elected representatives have a fundamental obligation to be honest
- We are entitled to formal legal independent redress
Among the interviewees, there was general consent to the first three points, but not the fourth. There were several objections and counterarguments:
- You can't have a law against lying.
- But there already are such laws, such as the Trade Descriptions Act 1968Trade Descriptions Act 1968The Trade Descriptions 1968 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which prevents manufacturers, retailers or service industry providers from misleading consumers as to what they are spending their money on....
, the Statutory instrumentStatutory InstrumentA Statutory Instrument is the principal form in which delegated or secondary legislation is made in Great Britain.Statutory Instruments are governed by the Statutory Instruments Act 1946. They replaced Statutory Rules and Orders, made under the Rules Publication Act 1893, in 1948.Most delegated...
1988 no. 915 and the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991Property Misdescriptions Act 1991Property Misdescriptions Act 1991 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which makes the misidentification of various aspects of a properties specifiations and particulars a crime.-External links:*...
.
- But there already are such laws, such as the Trade Descriptions Act 1968
- There is already a means of control in place - if ministers mislead it's the end of their career.
- But the documentary gives several examples of ministers who first lost their jobs for such reasons, but then got another one in politics soon after. And voting out lying ministers or MPs through the following elections can only be done once every four years, when one can't vote out a specific person. Besides, between government spin and trial by mediaTrial by mediaTrial by media is a phrase popular in the late 20th century and early 21st century to describe the impact of television and newspaper coverage on a person's reputation by creating a widespread perception of guilt or innocence before, or after, a verdict in a court of law.In the United Kingdom there...
, how can we possibly know the truth we need to judge them? Anyway, if you get burgled, you don't go to the press, you go to the police. One member of parliament, however, stated that the press should be held accountable for the lies they tell.
- But the documentary gives several examples of ministers who first lost their jobs for such reasons, but then got another one in politics soon after. And voting out lying ministers or MPs through the following elections can only be done once every four years, when one can't vote out a specific person. Besides, between government spin and trial by media
- There is already plenty of self-regulation.
- But this is done through a process in which the prime minister is both judge and jury.
- Members of parliament can ask questions.
- But the ministers are not obliged to answer, and most of the time give evasive answers. And the party whip is far too powerful.
- You can't give power over to people who are less accountable than parliament.
- But that has already been done, in the cash for honours scandal.
- It would violate the principles of the Parliamentary systemParliamentary systemA parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
.- Harriet HarmanHarriet HarmanHarriet Ruth Harman QC is a British Labour Party politician, who is the Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham, and was MP for the predecessorPeckham constituency from 1982 to 1997...
argued that it would give the legislative branch of the government a tool to remove any politician from parliament they wish. With this bill the JudiciaryJudiciaryThe judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
could in practice dissolve British democracyDemocracyDemocracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and seize power.
- Harriet Harman
External links
- http://www.ministry-of-truth.net/
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7038062.stm