Calls to introduce a VAR system in Parliament have been mooted amid concerns that mistruths are becoming an increasingly common part of UK political discourse.
Boris Johnson was forced to step down as an MP after the privileges committee’s report recommended a 90-day suspension from parliament for lying to parliament about boozy, law-breaking parties held during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The House of Commons voted 354 to seven to endorse the report, which concluded that the former leader should have his parliamentary pass revoked.
But his successor-but-one, Rishi Sunak, has also gained a reputation for having a loose relationship with the truth.
As Peter Oborne recently pointed out, the MP for Richmond promised truth and integrity when he first stepped into the role but has failed to deliver either.
Citing one infamous PMQs, Oborne notes that Sunak claimed to have reintroduced the nurses’ bursary as chancellor, which is a misleading claim, and also told MPs there had been “a record number of new homes built in the last year”, which is also untrue.
But what if the prime minister’s claims could have been fact-checked in real-time during the debate?
Calls for a VAR-style system in parliament were mooted in a recent The Rest is Politics episode.
Technology, it has been suggested, could be used to correct the record if MPs make arguments or cite figures that are deemed to be misleading.
Appeals would be capped to three, like in cricket, and be retained if the review is proved to be ‘successful’.
It could ensure that truth and integrity really do become a cornerstone of the Sunak administration. Or was he lying about that too?
Related: Rayner: It’s not enough for Labour to just be less rubbish than the Tories
