Consumer champion Martin Lewis has slammed politicians for “voting for things you don’t believe in” as he appeared before a Parliamentary committee.
Speaking Tuesday in front of MPs, the campaigner criticised the political system which expects Cabinet ministers to hold views the public know they do not sincerely believe.
He warned that this, alongside the party ‘whipping’ system, was damaging the public’s trust in politicians.
He told MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee: “If you forgive me, the problem with politicians isn’t necessarily the individuals, it is the system.
“First of all, the biggest things that lack trust - collective Cabinet responsibility and the whip - are instinctively against every form of trust.
“You will vote for something that you don’t believe in, we know you do not believe in it, we can see it.”
Under the Westminster system, ministers in Cabinet are expected to advocate and defend the collective position agreed by Cabinet, even if they privately disagreed. The whipping system also means MPs are expected to vote along party lines on most issues.
Lewis also criticised the “adversarial” nature of Prime Minister’s Questions, a weekly opportunity for the opposition and backbenchers to hold the PM to account.
He said it led to a situation where the “definition [is] to knock each other down, to destroy what the other side is saying, to score political points”.
“When one party makes an announcement, a governing party makes an announcement, and the announcement is one that adopts the policy of the other side,” he said.
“[But] instead of welcoming that and seeing that as a constructive way of working together, holes have to be picked in it or a point has to be scored”.
The founder of the MoneySavingExpert site also suggested to MPs that he would not want to do their jobs.
“I do not know how any of you cope with your jobs in an adversarial situation,” he said.
“I absolutely couldn’t do it, I would find it very difficult.”
Lewis was appearing before the committee to give evidence on Online Harms and Disinformation.
