Honesty is what it is about

Honesty is what it is about. We have got to speak the truth. Leaking and spinning, at the end of the day, are not helpful. (Richard Dannatt)


Next week, General Sir Richard Dannatt steps down as Chief of the General Staff. In an age of spin, when almost no one in public life seems to have the guts to tell the truth lest it cost them dearly, General Dannatt stood out. It appears, not surprisingly, that he was intensely disliked by some in the current government.

As David Crosthwaite-Eyre says, “Imagine how wonderful it would be to have someone wielding real political power who didn't care a jot for spin, who isn't afraid to speak their mind. Who actually wanted to do the right thing for the right reasons.”

Indeed.

Unless we actually know exactly what the problems are, we are unlikely to come up with the correct solutions. And if people in power are determined to suppress the truth, we are less likely to know.