I just want a government that won’t lie to me

I don’t think I’m asking for much when I say I just want a government that doesn’t lie to me. Not a perfect government. Not even a particularly competent one. Just one that doesn’t treat the truth as optional.

The moment I ask a government department for information — any information — the first response I get is either a lie or an attempt to divert me. That’s the default. Whether I’m seeking a report, a confirmation of a date, or something as basic as a public statement, the answer is rarely clear, rarely direct, and often not even relevant.

Let’s be clear: I’m talking about public servants. These are people who work for the public, paid by the public, in roles meant to uphold transparency and accountability. They’re not elected politicians spreading a little partisan fairy dust – I expect that. Their job is to provide facts, not to protect reputations.

But somewhere along the way, the culture shifted. When did preventing a bad headline become more important than answering a question truthfully? When did honesty start carrying so much internal risk that facts get twisted or denied?

And the information being denied is often absurdly benign. A report that should be public. A figure that’s already been quoted. A planning date. Not secrets — just informational collateral damage, caught in the gears of media management.

What you get instead is a kind of bureaucratic fog: statements two steps removed from the question, heavy on qualifiers, light on substance. You never get a straight answer — just enough to frustrate you.

It would almost be easier if they just said no. Instead, answers get processed through communications teams who dilute the facts until they barely mean anything. You can hear the caution in every line: say nothing that could be used, even if it’s true.

And it’s not just me. As a voter, as a citizen, the experience is just as hollow. When the culture of spin becomes so thick it swallows even basic communication into the darkness, we all lose. If a government can’t even say the trains are late or there’s roadworks without adding a self-serving message, something’s broken. That’s not information — that’s propaganda.

We’re not talking about matters of national security. We’re talking about routine public information that now requires strategic handling, clearance, and often outright obstruction. We don’t need a new messaging strategy — we need an intervention.

It’s not a radical demand to want honesty from the public service. It’s not idealistic to expect that facts should be shared, not filtered. It’s not unreasonable to think a public servant should answer a question, not sidestep it.

I don’t want miracles. I just want a government that treats truth like it matters. A public service that remembers who it works for. A system where honesty isn’t a liability, but the minimum standard.

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