Nolan Principles

Adam Thompson Excerpts

Thursday 12th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

I will be as brief as possible. I thank the hon. Member for Mid Dunbartonshire (Susan Murray) for bringing the debate forward—we are all very grateful.

Despite what the media might have us think sometimes, I think people in my constituency are not actually that interested in the to-ing and fro-ing of us here in Westminster. Instead, what they want to see is honesty and accountability in their politicians and their Government. They want some breathing space from the pressures of the cost of the living crisis, and they expect that those elected to serve them are focused on the issues that matter to them most. When I speak to people across Erewash, they rarely ask about the sparring that has happened that week in Prime Minister’s questions. What they actually want to ask me about is whether they can get a GP appointment, if their train will turn up on time, or how they will make ends meet at the end of the month.

People need to know that politics is working for them. When confidence in politics falls, so does our ability to tackle the challenges facing the country and improve people’s lives. That is why the Nolan principles matter. They are about restoring trust at a time when many people have lost faith that politics can deliver for them. Rebuilding that confidence requires those in public life to uphold the highest standards of honesty, integrity and accountability. The Nolan principles are not about party politics; they are the core of good public service, and they help to ensure that decisions are taken in the public interest. They set out the standards that British people have a right to expect from those who are elected to serve them.

In the era of social media, where misinformation can spread quickly and public confidence is easily eroded, standards of conduct are more important than ever. People hear a lot about politics, but they do not always see reasons to trust it. The rise of artificial intelligence of course has merit. However, it has created room for the rapid spread of disordered information and misinformation. With political deepfakes—often from accounts registered from abroad—seamlessly depicting Members of this House doing or saying things they have not done, it is unsurprising that people feel distrust towards politicians.

I remember the incident last year involving the hon. Member for Mid Norfolk (George Freeman)—I have notified him that I would be mentioning him today. A deepfake video was created in which the fake version of him announced his defection from the Conservative party to Reform, which, of course, the real hon. Member had not done. It was terrifying for all of us here, because of how close to reality the video was, despite it being totally fabricated. Fake news spreads six times faster than truthful content online, and 70% of people struggle to distinguish between real and fake news. Two thirds of Brits now see misinformation as the leading threat to our democracy, and with trust in politicians at an all-time low, that should concern us all. That is why it is essential that all politicians uphold the principles of openness, integrity and honesty. Where there is uncertainty in the information space, people should be able to look to public servants for clarity and not be met with falsehoods or ambiguity.

Every story of poor conduct makes it a little harder for people to believe that politics is working for them. Trust is hard to build, and easy to lose. Once it is lost, regaining it takes time. And it has been lost. Just four years ago, Liz Truss sent the currency crashing and interest rates soaring; six years ago, Boris Johnson broke his own lockdown rules to host parties in Downing Street; and this year, Reform UK has been investigated by the National Crime Agency for alleged dodgy dealings.

This morning on the Floor of the House I raised an incident with Derbyshire county council, which had placed engagement sanctions on our brilliant local democracy reporter, Eddie Bisknell. Although I understand that those sanctions are now lifted, I strongly agree with the Leader of the House’s comment that it sounded like they were running scared from basic scrutiny.

Public trust has been seriously undermined. It is up to us, as Members of Parliament and public servants, to adhere to the highest standard of professional and personal conduct. If we want the public to regain faith in politics and us, selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness and honesty are the life foundations by which we must abide. Public trust should never be taken for granted; it must be earned and maintained. That is why the Nolan principles remain as important today as they have ever been.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.