There was a time not so long ago, when conventional wisdom would lead members of the public to reasonably expect that unequivocal statements made by politicians could be relied upon to be a credible reflection of that politician’s views on the prevailing issues of the day.
Only a month ago, Kemi Badenoch boldly stated that “We believe in free speech. We believe in a free press.”
Whatever has happened to the concept of honesty in the engagement politicians have with their constituents?
Recent developments on the eve of the Conservative Party Conference demonstrate that Badenoch’s words clearly cannot be taken at face value. This is because Bylines Times Chief reporter, Josiah Mortimer wasn’t granted approval to attend their party conference this year.
There appears little distinction between Badenoch and Reform when it comes to their approach to press freedom
Having been highly critical of Reform’s decision to exclude some members of the press from their party conference last month, Badenoch’s decision to implement this ban displays a breathtaking level of hypocrisy and to my mind, a serious lack of judgement – I will return to this later.
If she can disapply her own position on something as fundamental as the integrity of a free press within a month of giving it her apparently unequivocal support, why should anyone take anything she says as an accurate reflection of her view on a specific subject?
There is a prevailing lack of trust in politics in the UK; the propensity for politicians to engage dishonestly with people creates a climate of distrust between politicians and the electorate, with democracy itself being the casualty.
In my role as national press officer and senior union official for my ambulance union over the years, nothing was of more importance or of more intrinsic value than the concept of being truthful. Honesty was then and is now a trait that is both respected and underestimated.
Truth is an often an undervalued concept
Whether Kemi Badenoch likes it or not, everyone is ultimately judged by their willingness to be true to their word. That is why I felt that she displayed such poor judgement in not giving accreditation to Mortimer after her apparently unequivocal support for the freedom of the press in this country only a month earlier.
It is therefore all the more disappointing that the press in this country didn’t come out collectively and condemn the actions against Bylines Times by the Tories. The NUJ did however criticise the Tories over the issue.
Whatever has happened to the concept of honesty in the engagement politicians have with their constituents?
The decisions by both the Conservatives and Reform to withhold accreditation to certain journalists sets a very dangerous precedent; it should be called out at the earliest opportunity and yet here we are!
Speaking truth to power
The role of the press is to hold our politicians to account. Our beleaguered democracy can only survive intact if they are granted access to all areas of political life. Regrettably, recent decisions by both Reform and the Conservatives would suggest otherwise!
Rebecca Paul, Conservative Shadow Culture Secretary is scheduled to speak at their conference about defending press freedom; Hollywood script writers would have had a field day!
Madeleine Albright, the former US Secretary of State once said “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent“
If members of Badenoch’s party took a moment to reflect on this quotation and call out this clumsy attempt to stifle press freedom, perhaps more people would be prepared to take His Majesty’s Opposition more seriously!
