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What can we learn from Behind Closed Doors
from #277
What can we learn from Behind Closed Doors
In a political climate where distrust of government is commonplace, scandals of political leaders have become worryingly customary. Global downfalls of presidents have caused plenty of public outrage and scrutiny; including President Nixon’s impeachment following the infamous Watergate scandal, the uncovering of Bill Clinton’s sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky and more recently Partygate – a series of government parties during Covid-19 held at 10 Downing Street, which led to Boris Johnson’s resignation as Prime Minister. This article explores the political and social consequences of political scandals, not just for individuals but for political parties, as well as proffering what can be done to reduce these debilitating scandals in the future.
Politics is undoubtedly a constantly fluctuating phenomena, with public opinion and political popularity ever changing. Scandals of political leaders most directly have significant influence on the individuals’ reputations, a consequence which certainly affected Bill Clinton following the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. The scandal involved former US president Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, a white house intern. The pair had a sexual relationship which began in 1995 and ended in 1997, resulting in Clinton’s impeachment[1] after he denied any relationship to Lewinsky, infamously claiming ‘I did not have sexual relations with that woman’. As a result of the scandal, Clinton was supported by approximately 30% fewer Americans[2], with many feeling betrayed by a figure who should symbolise integrity, as well as feeling sceptical about other areas where Clinton may have been dishonest.
As well as individual damages to reputation, the scandals of political leaders often affect their political parties. This has seemingly occurred in the United Kingdom following the Party gate scandal, which saw gatherings of conservative party and government staff during Covid 19, despite lockdown still being adhered to by the public. The subsequent public scrutiny on former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, was a major contributing factor to his resignation in 2022. There has also been major political fallout for the conservative party, as a Covid inquiry[3]suggested that the scandal had destroyed trust in the UK government and damaged their ability to deal with future health crises. Not only that, but the scandal has had an effect on their future political support, as a current general election prediction conducted by Electoral Calculus[4], predicts Conservative votes falling from a 44.7% majority in 2019 to just 24.7% in the fast approaching next general election.
A potential outcome of political scandals, that is undoubtedly the most concerning, is the possible reduction in voter turnout due to lack of government trust and support. With voter turnout significantly reducing in the United Kingdom since the 2016 Brexit Referendum[5] and new legislation surrounding the requirement of voter ID being passed, voter turnout in the UK is already declining.
“As well as individual damages to reputation, the scandals of political leaders often affect their political parties.”
According to a report conducted by Alia Middleton[6] on the effect of political scandals on by-elections, the notion that people will simply stay at home and abstain from voting due to lack of belief in government is becoming an increasingly likely possibility. Middleton concluded that when MPs start behaving ‘scandalously’, it ‘confirms people’s worst fears[7]’, which subsequently discourages people from voting.
So, the question that is posed therefore is how can we reduce these political scandals which are so debilitating to politics and voter confidence in government? The most immediate solution is to protect media freedom and access to information, to ensure that journalists can investigate and report on government activities without fear of reprisal. This in turn will hold political leaders accountable and deter them from acting in a dishonest manner.
An example which emphasises the importance of media freedom in eliminating political corruption, is the influence that journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein had on uncovering the Watergate scandal. The Watergate scandal involved the break in and robbery of the Democratic National Committee Headquarters at the Watergate Office Building, sanctioned by former US president Richard Nixon in 1972. Nixon was impeached and forced to resign in 1974 after the ‘Nixon White House tapes’ revealed that he had conspired to cover up illegal activities that occurred after the burglary. Woodward and Bernstein’s role in drawing national and media attention to the scandal, despite being censored, was pivotal in uncovering and condemning the Watergate scandal, making it much more likely that a similar situation would not occur again.
However, the most important factor which will minimise the occurrence of scandals of political leaders is to provide whistle-blower protection. Governments must encourage a culture of accountability using effective protections for whistle-blowers, so that individuals feel safe and protected when coming forward with information about potential scandals. Whistleblowing is the most likely source of information about political scandals and can be an important asset to deter political corruption from occurring. For instance, without the two whistle-blowers who leaked photographic evidence of parties held at Downing Street during Covid 19; Party gate would have likely been successfully covered up, as one whistle-blower established, ‘I could no longer sit back and watch this cover-up[8]’.
When scandals of political leaders emerge, we are powerfully reminded of the importance of having trust in the people that have such influence over our lives. Throughout recent history we have seen that scandals of political leaders are not uncommon, which will likely continue to be a trend in the future. Maybe then if we can’t directly stop the scandals of individuals occurring, it becomes vital that governments, as institutions, prioritise exercising measures which will prevent and deter these political scandals from manifesting.
