PMQs: ‘Evidence of egregious misleading campaigning by the Tories’
Sunak urged to sign pledge for honest election campaign
Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP, has today (Wednesday 28 February) slammed the Conservatives for “egregious misleading campaigning” and urged Rishi Sunak to sign a pledge for honest politics for the next election.
The Welsh Conservatives have repeatedly made dishonest claims in recent days relating to agriculture and business support in Wales, including claiming that Plaid Cymru are in coalition with Labour, that Plaid Cymru is cutting the rural affairs budget, and that Plaid Cymru is cutting business support in Wales.
None of these claims are true. Plaid Cymru is an opposition party in the Senedd, working with the Labour Welsh Government only on limited policy areas. There are no Plaid Cymru ministers in the Welsh Government.
Plaid Cymru have signed a pledge by Full Fact to commit to the standards we set out for honest campaigning during the next election, so that everyone can make an informed decision when they vote on polling day.
Full Fact is calling on all major parties across the country to:
- Make sure that claims made by its leader, party and candidates are truthful.
- Set out the party's manifesto in ways that allow meaningful scrutiny of its pledges.
- Ensure the party's advertising is honest and truthful, and commit to have the party's political advertising independently regulated.
- Not use deceptive campaigning tactics to gain votes, and commit to new rules for honest party campaigning practices.
Ms Saville Roberts urged the Prime Minister to sign the pledge, warning that “the alternative is to be complicit in dismantling democracy”.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Liz Saville Roberts MP said:
“Plaid Cymru has signed the Full Fact pledge for an honest general election campaign.
“One of their four asks is to renounce deceptive campaigning tactics. There is evidence of egregious misleading campaigning in Wales and elsewhere by the Conservatives in recent weeks.
“We all have a responsibility to campaign honestly, because the alternative is to be complicit in dismantling democracy.
“Therefore, will the Prime Minister sign Full Fact’s pledge for an honest election?”
The Prime Minister responded that “the Labour-run Welsh NHS is performing the worst in the UK, small Welsh businesses including pubs and restaurants are facing a crippling rise in their business rates, and indeed Welsh farmers are being decimated by the plans of the Welsh Labour Government. Those are the facts in Wales and we’re going to continue to point them out at every opportunity.”
Plaid Cymru leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS added:
“Plaid Cymru is proud to support Full Fact’s campaign. Honesty in politics is crucial if we are to restore the trust which has been eroded in recent years.
“A lack of transparency means a lack of accountability which in turn undermines our democracy and lets down voters, leaving them disillusioned and less likely to make their voice heard.
“We would urge all other parties to sign up to this pledge too so that track records and manifesto commitments can be scrutinised in full, and to ensure that public debate is always open and truthful.”