POLITICIANS and candidates in Wales who deliberately lie should face punishment, a Senedd scrutiny committee recommended last night.

The Senedd standards of conduct committee said truthfulness from politicians is essential to rebuild public trust in politics and the way Members of the Senedd (MSs) are held to account must be strengthened.

In January, the committee published a report calling for a new “recall” system, allowing the Senedd to recommend that voters can choose to remove and replace a Member of the Senedd (MS) if they seriously breach the Code of Conduct.

But now the committee is going further, calling on the Welsh government to strengthen the law to prevent and punish politicians and election candidates who deliberately lie.

Standards committee chairwoman Hannah Blythyn said: “Toughening rules for Members of the Senedd and candidates standing for election is critical at a time when public trust in our institutions is low.

“The next Senedd election in 2026 will bring big changes to how our parliament is elected and structured and it is only right that we use this opportunity to review the way politicians conduct themselves during elections and after they are elected.”

The report calls for a toughening of existing laws covering Senedd elections, expanding an existing offence to include deliberate deception by candidates.

The committee is also recommending that the Code of Conduct for MSs be strengthened, more independence when investigating complaints and enforcing the Code of Conduct, and allowing people who are not politicians to sit on the standards of conduct committee.

The Welsh government will now consider and respond to the report.