The truth about lying

There are lies, damned lies, and statistics about lying. The University of Essex has today published a study about dishonesty in Britain, and its conclusions are prompting some concern. The ‘ethics and integrity project’ found that our society is far more relaxed about the truth than it used to be — only one person in every three, apparently, is now willing to condemn lying in their own interest.

In 2000, 40 per cent of the study’s respondents said that picking up money on the street was ‘never justified’, whereas it’s just 20 per cent today. Ten years ago 70 per cent condemned adultery, compared to just over 50 per cent today. Young people, in particular, are significantly less bothered about the old-fashioned idea of personal probity.

What’s going wrong? Have we become a mendacious people? Can we blame New Labour? The Essex professors say it’s down to poor ‘role models’ in public life — cheating footballers, greedy bankers, corrupt politicians — and they may well have a point.