I don't want anyone being put off going into politics because

"I don’t want anyone being put off going into politics because they fear their personal life, family, and relatives will be spread all over the media." Thus spoke Liz Kendall, with the voice of one who saw the hidden cost of public service. Her words carry both warning and hope: that a nation loses its brightest lights when noble souls shrink away from leadership, not for lack of courage, but for fear of violation.

The ancients, too, wrestled with this tension. In Athens, those who entered the public square knew that their private faults would be mocked by rivals and poets alike. Yet Pericles, though subject to ridicule, stood firm, his greatness shining brighter than the gossip. But not all had his strength, and many were silenced before their voices could ever reach the Assembly. The lesson is clear: when public duty threatens to devour personal life, many choose silence, and the city is poorer for it.

History offers us the tragedy of Thomas More. In standing against the demands of King Henry VIII, he brought not only peril upon himself but sorrow upon his family. Though remembered now as a martyr of conscience, the fear of such sacrifice has dissuaded countless others from walking the same path. When the private realm is consumed by the flames of public strife, few dare to step forward into politics.

In our own age, the all-seeing media magnifies this danger. For while once slander and rumor spread only through taverns and streets, today they echo instantly across nations. The private grief of a child, the stumble of a spouse, the distant sin of a relative—all are dragged into the light, until the noble soul wonders if service is worth such exposure. Thus Kendall’s words are a plea: that we must guard those who serve, lest the best among us refuse to enter at all.

Therefore, let this wisdom be passed down: a society that devours the personal life of its leaders builds walls against its own greatness. Encourage the worthy to rise, and do not punish them by feasting upon their family and kin. For when fear of shame silences the noble, only the shameless remain to govern. Let us then protect, with dignity, those who would serve, so that politics may once again be the realm of courage and not of spectacle.