But first...
The Prime Minister’s rose garden dialogue might help him turn the page on our recent political story. Still, we mustn’t mistake a tonal reset for ‘fixing the foundations’ of a more honest political culture.
Sir Keir Starmer talked about a ‘societal black hole’ and the tough budgetary decisions that were ahead. However, meaningful steps are urgently required to wean political parties from their dependence on speculative statistics. On this, Labour and the Conservatives are not as far apart as Mr Starmer might wish.
If the Prime Minister truly wants to advance the cause of transparency in British politics, he should seek to equip the public with the skills, tools, and confidence to spot misinformation in all its forms, including those that hide in plain sight with half-truths at their heart.
The government may achieve this by delivering on its ambitions to weave these skills throughout the education system, and to revisit the Online Safety Act, but it should chart a bolder course from the outset. Rosy rhetoric is pleasant, but underwhelming.
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