Trust no one. Those words, and variations of them, have been widely repeated throughout history, by characters real and invented. Russian tyrant Joseph Stalin, iron-fisted ruler of the Soviet Union for almost 30 years, went so far as to say, “I trust no one, not even myself.” That uncompromising attitude worked formidably well for old Joe, who mistrusted even his devoted doctors until the end of his life, imprisoning one for suggesting he retire to improve his failing health.

You might ask: But that was there and then: what about here and now? Trust no one? Not even those individuals and institutions meant to safeguard and uphold our democracy?

Well, let’s start at the top, with our politicians. Former prime minister, and currently former politician, Boris Johnson, has at last been confirmed by the Commons Privileges Committee as the bare-faced, unashamed, unrepentant liar that he is. And Johnson aside, the multiple incidents of scandal, sleaze, generally unacceptable behaviour, and alleged corruption, have led to shock resignations, or individuals being thrown out of their party, with some facing the possibility of criminal charges. You must have noticed, too, that most politicians, in government and increasingly amongst opposition figures, no longer answer questions, either in parliament or in media interviews. They either ignore the question completely, trot out a pre-prepared generalisation, regurgitate facts we’ve heard a hundred times before, or simply list their so-called “achievements”. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is the current master of the art, but Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer is not averse to deploying similar tactics when the questioning gets tough. There are exceptions, of course, but our politicians in general have hardly covered themselves in glory over the past few years.

Our police forces have much to do to win back a basic level of trust with the public

If our lawmakers are unworthy of our trust, what about our law keepers – the police? Two words – the Met. Recent events in the UK’s largest force, and in other forces too, graphically highlight that too many police officers are prepared to take full advantage of the trust their uniform and badge should inspire and use it to evil ends. The facts prove that our police forces have much to do to win back a basic level of trust with the public.

So, if we can’t put our trust in lawmakers and law keepers, can we depend upon the law itself? Don’t our laws set the global standard in protecting the people and safeguarding basic human rights? Don’t our laws ensure that the scales of justice are always fairly balanced? That may once have been the case, but with the current government facing little or no political opposition as it rewrites and reduces basic laws such as the right to strike, the right to participate in a peaceful demonstration, and the right to claim asylum on these islands, the law is struggling to defend itself, let alone the rights of the people.

What about the press and the media, can’t we trust the press to publish the truth, to present the facts in a fair, balanced and unbiased way? What you can certainly bank on is that the press will give you its version of the truth, and in most cases that will be an unfair, unbalanced and totally biased “truth”. There are always two sides to every story, but don’t count upon the mainstream media to provide both. And as for social media…

Then there’s only the BBC. Surely, we can trust the good old Beeb, dear old Auntie. Auntie has always been reassuringly there to provide the truth. Hasn’t she? Maybe in the past, but in recent times an ever-growing army of critics, from all sides of the political argument, has accused both BBC bosses and some of its highest-profile presenters of blatant bias.

Then who do we believe? Who can we trust to tell us the difference between truth and lies?

Trust no one. Cynical as it may be, perhaps that really is the answer. Perhaps the line between truth and lie has become too blurred. Everyone has an agenda. No one is completely unbiased. But let’s look on the bright side. Perhaps George Orwell was prophetically correct when he said in his dystopian novel, 1984, published way back in 1949: “Ignorance is strength.”