DWYFOR Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts has called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to support her party’s proposal for a law against lying in politics.

Speaking at today’s Prime Minister’s Questions, The Plaid Cymru MP urged Parliament to back a proposed bill that would make lying a criminal offence for full-time elected politicians, allowing members of the public to call in the police if they believe an offence has been committed.

A series of scandals have eroded the UK public’s trust in politics and the country’s leadership, with the Prime Minister recently receiving a fine for breaching his own lockdown rules, while the Met Police continue to investigate other instances of possible No. 10 lockdown restriction breaches.

47 per cent of UK public has lost faith in politics and politicians over the last twelve months, polling from the think tank Compassion in Politics revealed earlier today.

The polling also reveals that the public would overwhelmingly (73 per cent) support the introduction of a new law.

MORE - Partygate: Boris Johnson apologises 35 times in less than two hours

Mrs Saville Roberts said that the “archaic” rules stopping MPs from calling out lies in Parliament meant such a law was more necessary than ever.

Plaid Cymru had previously tried to introduce the Elected Representatives (Prohibition of Deception) Bill in 2007, when Tony Blair’s reasons for the Iraq War were under investigation.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP said: “Plaid Cymru have been calling for 15 years for a law to ban politicians from wilfully misleading the public.

“New polling by Compassion in Politics shows 73% of people support such a law.

“For once, a straight answer please – will the Prime Minister support a Lying in Politics Bill?”

Despite having previously agreed with the 'basic principle' of Plaid Cymru’s Bill on 14 April 2021, the Prime Minister refused to support a Lying in Politics Bill, saying that “it is well known that the rules of this House demand that we tell the truth in this House.”

Speaking after the session, Mrs Saville Roberts added: “People are rightly furious about this Prime Minister’s conduct – and at the fact that the archaic rules of this place stop us from accurately describing it.

“The Westminster political system is utterly incapable to hold liars like Boris Johnson to account.

“A system based on honour cannot work when the Prime Minister has none.

“Boris Johnson’s answer showed just how out of touch he is with public opinion.

“Given that 73% of people support our proposals, it is now time for the PM to show some humility and deliver.”

The co-director of Compassion in Politics, Jennifer Nadel, said: “We need politicians who are open, honest, and transparent.

“Politicians who respect the public and are committed to serving them.

“If the current system is not producing that level of leadership, the system needs to change.

MORE - MS: ‘Westminster truly rotten to core’ if PM and Chancellor don't resign

“Our proposal - to make it a requirement that politicians are honest with the public - would apply the same rules to Westminster that already exist for businesses, doctors, teachers, and many other workplaces.

“Why should there be one rule for us and another for politicians? It isn’t fair and, self-evidently, it isn’t working. Over 200,000 people have now signed our petition calling for such a law.

“Our politics has already sunk as low as it can go thanks to the repeated use of lies, mistruths, and misrepresentation - it’s time someone threw it a lifejacket.”