Definition of lying

[BillyStubbsTears]

One or two people in here seem to have a problem with differentiating between knowingly lying and mistakenly getting something wrong.

Fortunately, Johnson today gave us a masterclass in how to tell the difference in PMQs today.

Before we get to that, it's work having a look at the Cambridge English Dictionary definition of to lie.

"to say or write something that is not true in order to deceive." (my emphasis)

So it's not a lie if you don't intend to deceive. And clearly if you don't intend to deceive but you make a mistake, you can make it clear that you are not intending to deceive by withdrawing the untrue statement at the first opportunity.

On to Johnson. Over the last fortnight he has repeatedly claimed that crime is down by 14% over the past year.

This has resulted in the head of the Stats Agency writing to reprimand him for misuse of official stats. SOME crime figures are down by 14%, but if you include ALL crimes, the figure is UP by 14%.

So Johnson has repeatedly said something untrue.

Was that intended to deceive?

Well now he knows it is untrue. And at PMQs today he was invited to withdraw the claim.

He refused.

So he is letting an untrue statement remain on the record, knowing that it may deceive people. He has the opportunity to remove it and hence ensure people aren't deceived. But he will not do that. So he is choosing to leave deceptive, untrue statements on the record.

He is a liar according to the very dictionary definition of the word.

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

and a racist.

[belton rover]

I think manipulating statistics to suit personal agenda is appallingly dishonest. It’s almost as if those who do it actually believe it makes an untruth a truth just because it’s in the form of a graph or there’s a few % signs knocking around.
I think anyone who does this should be tarred and feathered.

[Sprotyrover]

Ha he must be an ex pupil of the Tony Blair/  Mandleson school of Spin.