Political Parties Should Be Subject To Advertising Standards

10.20.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 20th Jan 2005

Simon Hughes, MP for North Southwark & Bermondsey and President of the Liberal Democrats speaking in Whitehall today on politics and trust, said: "Increasing trust in politics is an urgent challenge for civil servants, local government officers, political advisors and politicians alike. Of course the media have a responsibility too, but unless the rest of us do better, then the media will often regularly continue to expose our failings."

"In recent years we have taken several steps in the right direction. The creation of a category of people as special advisors is a good thing, provided their numbers remain small. The creation of the Committee for Standards in Public Life is a good thing and has already proved its effectiveness. More and more robust select committees are good things, provided government does not try to fix their membership. And the Freedom of Information Act, though slow in coming and not perfect, is a good thing too."

"Moves away from the old lobby briefing system towards regular press conferences by the Prime Minister are welcome. A monthly press conference by each department senior minister would be a further step in the right direction. And briefings should normally be attributed - either to ministers, civil servants or special advisors - as appropriate."

"Reporting news as it happens or after it happens, rather than before it happens, would also be a welcome relief to everybody."

"Senior shadow ministers in the main opposition parties should also have known special advisors and access to the civil service as a matter of course."

"But five things above all could change the climate and our reputation for the better:

1) political advertising should be subject to the Advertising Standards Authority requirement to be decent, honest and truthful, with sanctions for breach.

2) Politicians, special advisors and civil servants should be able and willing to apologise when they have made mistakes or got something wrong.

3) Politicians, special advisors and civil servants should be exposed more and under pressure more when they don't answer the questions asked.

4) It must be clearer as to who takes responsibility when things go wrong, somebody must always carry the can. And if the failure is serious, pay the price by losing their job.

5) The media should report less speculation and more fact.

"Politics and government, almost by definition, are more often about relatives than absolutes. We'll never have a perfect system and nor should we expect one. But now that all politicians, special advisors and civil servants are paid good money for their public service, the public should go on demanding higher standards, and we should try to set them."

ENDS

Note to Editors:

Simon Hughes was speaking at the Commonwealth Club, Northumberland Avenue for the "What Future for Government Communications - Trust, Standards, Politics, Officials, Media: getting it right"

Other speakers included:

· Sir Alistair Graham, Chairman, Committee on Standards in Public Life

· Prof Bob Worcester, Chairman, MORI

· Ed Owen, Special Advisor to the Foreign Secretary

· John Lloyd, Editor, FT Magazine

· Evan Davis, Economics Editor, BBC Newsnight