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Long Reads
Why don’t politicians ever apologise? The behavioural psychology of (not) saying sorry
3 years ago
2 min read
How many times do you remember a politician saying sorry? Us neither. Ahead, Eve Livingston explores why this is such a common trait among people in power, and whether behavioural redemption is a real possibility.
When Nadhim Zahawi, Conservative party chairman and government minister, was sacked last week after an investigation found he had broken the ministerial code, there was one thing notably missing from his departing letter.
Among celebrations of his record in office and criticisms of the journalists who scrutinised him, there was no apology to voters over his failure to declare an HMRC fine he received in a multimillion-pound tax dispute.
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