It’s said that if a lie is repeated enough times, it becomes a truth. And inspired perhaps by those master misusers of the truth, or as many say, serial liars, Trump and Johnson, it seems increasingly that the truth is becoming harder to find. Newspapers have always presented the facts in a way that supports a political point of view, thus creating their take on the truth. More recently, new UK radio and tv stations adopting the established American format have begun broadcasting with an unapologetic political agenda, further blurring the line between fact and fiction.

Notorious social media manipulators and podcasts commentators cross the line, blatantly dispensing lies as truths. And mostly they get away with it. Big lies, whoppers, little white lies, flood out daily. Some politicians are amongst the worst of offenders, with certain familiar characters regularly prepared to spin, straight-faced, the most outrageous untruths. Others pick up and run with a “porkie” once it’s in the public domain. When a clear lie is exposed, it’s put down to “misspeaking,” a “slip of the tongue,” or is simply ignored. When Rishi Sunak stood outside 10 Downing Street as the UK’s latest Prime Minister, fully aware that there was much to do to make up for the mistruths spun of the previous administrations, he boldly stated: “This government will have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level.

Trust is earned, and I will earn yours.” But what’s changed with regard to trust when one minister follows another into TV and radio studios to tell the nation that UK supermarkets shelves empty of salad crops, vegetables and fruit is nothing to do with Brexit, but is almost entirely down to a lack of rainfall in Spain? When challenged on this, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Thérèse Coffey, shrugged and said: I can’t control the rainfall in Spain.” Meanwhile, at the same time, stores and market stalls throughout the rest of Europe were shown to be full to overflowing with salad, fruits and veg. Even in besieged Ukraine there were more tomatoes on sale than in the UK. Where then, is the integrity Sunak spoke of? And where is the accountability when the lies are called out? How can trust be earned and restored without honesty? But does it matter? Do we care? Or should liars always be hit with a few home truths?