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Originally Posted by Hugh
However, if it's proven he has lied in Parliament about these things...
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………….then what?
It would have to be proven he deliberately lied, and was just not mistaken. If he was mistaken and he corrects himself…job done.
Even if he is found to have lied, the person that decides whether a minister should resign is……….the Prime Minister. So he would have to find himself guilty.
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It’s easier to get thrown out of the House of Commons for calling someone a liar than for lying itself.
Despite often coming under fire from disgruntled viewers, the Speaker of the House does not have any power to police the truthfulness of debates in the chamber.
And other codes of conduct which mention honesty, like the Nolan Principles and the Ministerial Code, are essentially voluntary.
In fact, much of the British political system rests on the assumption that politicians will choose to behave honourably, and there are few sanctions in place for those who defy the conventions.
Dr Alice Lilley from the Institute of Government told us: “Misleading Parliament is a serious matter.
“The convention has always been that ministers who mislead Parliament are expected to resign, and this is set out in the Ministerial Code. But enforcing this convention is more complicated.
“It is ultimately up to the prime minister to decide what happens to ministers judged to have broken the Code.
“And Parliament has very few powers to punish a minister for misleading it. The Commons Speaker might make some pointed remarks that make their irritation clear, but it isn’t their job to determine whether ministers are telling the truth—or the consequences if they aren’t.”
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https://www.channel4.com/news/factch...icians-who-lie