The Destructive Consequences of Government Cover-Ups

Trust can be considered the glue that binds relationships together—and trust is what people long to place in their leaders and their nations. When we trust others, we feel at peace. But what happens when a nation loses trust in its leaders? And what happens when leaders break faith with their citizens?

A shocking 2017 poll showed that only 17 percent of Britons trusted their politicians (“Why British people don’t trust the government any more—and what can be done about it,” The Conversation, 31 January 2018). This research was conducted after Brexit, but before the COVID-19 pandemic spurred even greater distrust in a government widely scorned for engaging in health-related cover-ups. Among participants in intensive two-day group “democratic forums” across Europe—in Copenhagen, Berlin, Oslo, and Ljubljana, as well as in Birmingham, England—English participants stood out as unique when interviewed. “The UK participants stood out for their general mistrust—elsewhere people had confidence in the capacity of government to deal with the challenges.” According to 2023 UK government statistics, fewer UK citizens trust their political parties (12 percent) than their news media (19 percent), Parliament (24 percent), or the UK government itself (27 percent).

An Erosion of Moral Foundations

More than 20 years ago, British historian Niall Ferguson made a sobering observation: “The British Empire is long dead; only flotsam and jetsam now remain. What had been based on Britain’s commercial and financial supremacy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and her industrial supremacy in the nineteenth was bound to crumble once the British economy buckled under the accumulated burdens of two world wars” (Empire, 2002, p. 303).

Ferguson also cited economic historian David Landes, who compiled a list of measures that “ideal growth-and-development governments” have historically possessed. These include the provision of stable and honest governments that are fair, impartial, and governed by “publicly known rules” (p. 307).

In his book When Nations Die, Jim Nelson Black called attention to three aspects of national decay: social decay, moral decay, and cultural decay. Moral decay is not limited to the decay in the morality of citizens; it is often led by governments. And when a government’s morality cannot be trusted, this leads directly to the moral decay of the nation. Experience and common sense show that people need to be able to trust their government to protect them and provide for their general welfare. When there is no more trust, citizens doubt their governments, lose respect for those governments, and feel greater instability and uncertainty in their lives.

Put simply, when trust fails, people become fearful. Could it be that one reason for the decline of Great Britain is the failing morality of its leaders?

Compensation Does Not Excuse Corruption

Two recent scandals have received significant press, resulting in a further loss of trust in the UK government. The first is the infected blood scandal. The Infected Blood Inquiry launched by the British government examined blood-borne infections that were transmitted as a result of neglect by the National Health Service (NHS) and successive UK governments between 1970 and 1991 (“Infected blood inquiry: Five things we have learned,” BBC, 3 February 2023). This action—or inaction—led to the infection of more than 30,000 people and has been implicated in 3,000 deaths so far. “The five-year inquiry found safety had not been paramount in decision-making, pointing out the risk of transmitting viral infections [including HIV] in blood and blood products had been known since the NHS’s foundation, in 1948” (“PM apologises after infected blood scandal cover-up,” 20 May 2024).

In short, the NHS knowingly, for decades, passed on high-risk and contaminated blood to patients within the British health care system. As then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak lamented, “Today’s report shows a decades-long moral failure at the heart of our national life.” And as was noted by Sir Brian Langstaff, who chaired the Infected Blood Inquiry, “the ‘disaster was no accident’ and should never have happened as he exposed a ‘chilling’ cover-up by the NHS and successive governments” (“Day that shames the British state: Tainted blood scandal report blasts ‘horrifying’ failures that led to over 3,000 deaths - but families fear no one will ever face justice,” The Daily Mail, 20 May 2024). According to the British government, the first compensation to victims and victims’ families will be made by the end of the year (“What is the infected blood scandal and what compensation is there?,” BBC, 16 August 2024). Although monetary compensation may be a step in the right direction for a government that failed its citizens, the ruined trust cannot be purchased back.

Consider also the recent Post Office scandal that caused nationwide disruption. Computer software is only as good as its programming, and accounting software for the British postal system was found to be grievously error-prone, causing the false appearance of misconduct by postal workers. Not only did money incorrectly appear to go missing thanks to software glitches—hundreds of employees paid for the faulty software with their jobs! “More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted for stealing because of incorrect information from the Horizon computer system” (“Post Office Horizon scandal: Why hundreds were wrongly prosecuted,” BBC, 30 July 2024). Many were even imprisoned because of their perceived “false accounting and theft,” and others were financially ruined.

Yet, for years, Post Office leadership—backed by politicians and cabinet members—refused to acknowledge the errors. Finally, in 2017, 555 former employees sued the Post Office and won. However, much of the £58 million in restitution was consumed by legal fees. By March of 2024, only 102 of the more than 900 cases had been overturned. Legislation was finally enacted in May 2024 to clear victims’ names and provide restitution, and the government has budgeted £1 billion for compensation. But this is widely seen as “too little, too late”—and experience tells us that the compensation will not restore trust in the government.

Trustworthy Government Will Soon Come

Sadly, years of cover-up and denial by government agencies and Cabinet members—people whose words and deeds should be exemplary enough to earn the nation’s trust—have resulted in an erosion of the nation’s faith in its leaders. And the Bible prophesies of this reality.

God warned that many of the leaders—“shepherds”—of the end-time Israelite-descended nations would take care of only themselves, instead of taking care of those they claim to serve (Ezekiel 34:1–4). He also warned against perversion of justice (Deuteronomy 24:17) and lamented that in these nations “truth is fallen in the street” (Isaiah 59:14). Yet God also warned that those who sin will not keep their sins secret forever (Numbers 32:23). National leaders set the example for morality in their nations (Isaiah 3:12), so it should not be surprising to see the sorry state of so many citizens’ morality.

The Bible makes clear that people who are led by unjust, lying, and self-serving leaders groan under such unrighteous leadership (Proverbs 29:2). Yet when righteous, just, and truthful leaders rule, “the people rejoice.” As our Western democracies speed down the path of immorality and self-centered rule, we can find solace in the reality that a better future is coming. The Bible foretells that Jesus Christ will return to the earth and rule over the nations in righteousness (Psalm 9:8). And all His work will be done in truth (Psalm 33:4).

That exciting future is coming! To learn more, read our inspiring booklet The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? You can order your free printed copy from the Regional Office nearest you, or read it right here at TomorrowsWorld.org.