Friday, 12 December, 2025
London, UK
Friday, December 12, 2025 6:15 AM
broken clouds 10.8°C
Condition: Broken clouds
Humidity: 92%
Wind Speed: 8.1 km/h

Spin, half-truth or deceit? How political lies really work

Surfball was supposed to be the sport of the next generation – but it instead it was a fiction created by Peter Mandelson.

Lying in politics is nothing new, but after the budget, Rachel Reeves’ extraordinary pitch-rolling was viewed by some as an outright lie and others as justifiable spin. Inspired by this grey area, host Sascha O’Sullivan tries to find out the difference.

BBC Radio 4 Presenter Nick Robinson tells Sascha how he can spot when a politician is lying and explains the difference between ministers making a justifiable argument and those who read “the line to take.”

Former Keir Starmer Political Director Luke Sullivan says Rachel Reeves was “absolutely not” lying in the run-up to the budget and explains how Starmer made the most of Boris Johnson-era scandals when the Tory prime minister was accused of lying.

Craig Oliver, David Cameron’s former director of communications, rehashes the fibs told during the Brexit referendum, telling Sascha there were attacks “that were straightforwardly untrue.”

Sascha then digs in to what happens when a minister… fesses up. She speaks to Mark Harper, who resigned as immigration minister after discovering his cleaner did not have the right to work in the UK. Harper lost his job – but was welcomed back months later.

Full Fact Chief Executive Officer Chris Morris tells Sascha it’s hard to distinguish outright lies and spin — because most of the time politicians quote half-truths wrapped up in narrative.

LP Staff Writers

Writers at Lord’s Press come from a range of professional backgrounds, including history, diplomacy, heraldry, and public administration. Many publish anonymously or under initials—a practice that reflects the publication’s long-standing emphasis on discretion and editorial objectivity. While they bring expertise in European nobility, protocol, and archival research, their role is not to opine, but to document. Their focus remains on accuracy, historical integrity, and the preservation of events and individuals whose significance might otherwise go unrecorded.

Categories

Follow

    Newsletter

    Subscribe to receive your complimentary login credentials and unlock full access to all features and stories from Lord’s Press.

    As a journal of record, Lord’s Press remains freely accessible—thanks to the enduring support of our distinguished partners and patrons. Subscribing ensures uninterrupted access to our archives, special reports, and exclusive notices.

    LP is free thanks to our Sponsors

    Privacy Overview

    Privacy & Cookie Notice

    This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and to help us understand how our content is accessed and used. Cookies are small text files stored in your browser that allow us to recognise your device upon return, retain your preferences, and gather anonymised usage statistics to improve site performance.

    Under EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process this data based on your consent. You will be prompted to accept or customise your cookie preferences when you first visit our site.

    You may adjust or withdraw your consent at any time via the cookie settings link in the website footer. For more information on how we handle your data, please refer to our full Privacy Policy