What about politicians?

‘Grampa, why do poller … pally …’

‘Politicians?’

‘Yeah, them. Why do they call each other liars all the time?’

‘Because they want you to trust them.’

‘Can they all be right?’

‘No. Maybe some bits, but not everything.’

‘So they lie quite a lot of the time. They’re liars’

‘Yes.’

‘How do you know what’s true?’ Trusting innocent eyes gaze into mine.

‘It’s quite hard to know what’s true.’

School days

‘At school, they tell us to be honest.’

‘I get in trouble when I lie.’

‘It’s not surprising, is it?’

He nods and looks up at me. ‘Mum and Dad get mad when they find me out.’

‘So you lie sometimes?’

He smiles and nods. I smile back. ‘Mum calls it fibbing.’

‘Why do you fib?’

‘Jack (big brother) blames me, and I don’t want to get into trouble.’

‘Even if you’re guilty?’

He giggles and blushes. ‘Especially when I’m guilty.’

Kids get in trouble, and politicians don’t

I laugh and give him a serious look. ‘You obviously trust me, wee man.’

‘You don’t tell on me.’ He gazes into my eyes. ‘You tell me the truth, don’t you?’

‘As best I can.’

‘Dad says polly …

‘Politicians.’

He nods … ‘say porkies … that’s lying, isn’t it.’

‘Yes, lying.’

‘Why do politicians lie all the time?’

‘Because they think it’s okay.’ He frowns. ‘They sometimes call it Spin.’

‘Like a top?’

‘I think it’s more like yarn. Remember when you saw them spinning yarn in school.’

‘That was neat.’

‘It’s the same sort of idea. Like me telling you a yarn.’

‘Like the giant spider story?’

‘Your mum gave me a hard time for that one.’

‘It was scary … are porylicians scary?

‘Sometimes. Often, they’re friendly people.’

‘Friendly people who act like they know everything… but they don’t.’

‘Yup.’

‘And they lie and make things up.’

‘Sometimes.’

‘Like I do to avoid trouble?’

‘What happens when you hold your hand up and tell the truth?’

‘They usually forgive me.’

‘So being honest can pay off?’

‘Yes. Do you still fib?’

‘Yes, it’s kind of automatic.’

‘Maybe it’s the same for politicians.’

‘You mean they just lie like a child? Like me?’

‘Maybe.’

‘Why don’t they find things out and tell the truth, like we do in projects at school?’

‘Maybe their world works like your world.’

‘You mean avoiding getting caught by their parents.’

‘Possibly.’

‘Mum would sort them out.’

‘Yup, most mums would. But we’re not thinking about their parents, are we?’

‘No. Grown-ups.’

Who are?’

‘Everyone big? Like you, grampa.’

‘Yes. Voters.’

Spinning politicians

‘Why don’t they learn stuff, like me and my class?’

‘Maybe they don’t know how … and besides, they don’t have to.’

‘So that’s why Dad says they don’t live in the real world.’

‘Sounds like he’s right.’

‘And they lie to avoid trouble.’

‘It seems so.’

‘So, they know how to spin. They tell yarns yarn. But they don’t know how to be honest all the time.’

‘Spot on. You’ve taught me something today, wee man.’

I hug him. He hugs me back. We laugh.