Julian Baggini ponders the morality of lying:
It is ironic that the same rules on unparliamentary language which ban MPs from calling each other liars also forbid them from describing another member as “drunk.” Members are banned from accusing others of not telling the truth on some occasions—and then forced to conceal the truth themselves on others. There is nothing more common than inconsistency and confusion over the imperative not to tell a lie.
I've always thought that banning both terms of abuse was a little counter-productive. A lie in the House of Commons could be excused, it seems to me, on account of being sloshed. And there is a bar in the Commons, which serves, naturally, as the focal point for the journalists.
The Dish 