Should Politicians Always Be Truthful?

Most of us want our politicians to tell the truth. In fact, research from UCL and beyond confirms that honesty is consistently ranked as one of the top values citizens expect from their elected representatives.

But is that expectation realistic? Political insiders often argue that politics is a rough game – a competitive arena where playing fair can be a disadvantage. If truthfulness puts you behind, does it still have a place in modern democracy?

In this episode, we question whether we’ve been too quick to abandon truth as an essential political ideal. What do we lose when we let go of it? And is the cost greater than we realise?

To dig into these questions, we’re joined by Professor Richard Bellamy, Professor of Political Science at UCL and co-author of a new article arguing that truthfulness isn't just desirable—it’s foundational to democracy itself.

Mentioned in this episode:

• ‘Truthfulness, pluralism and the ethics of democratic representation’, by Richard Bellamy and Sandra Kröger. In the British Journal of Politics and International Relations.

UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.