When a politician or other person in a position of power or influence starts their response to a question with the phrase “What I would say…” or "I would say this to you..." I expect I am about to be lied to. I assume they are about to say something they do not believe or know to be inaccurate.
Otherwise, why do they use the conditional ‘would’? Why do they not just say whatever they are about to say? Some say it is a longer version of ‘errr.’ and only there to give thinking time. But they do not tend to use this phrase when making statements which are unchallenged, it only tends to come out in response to a difficult question.
I suspect it actually means “What I would say if I really believed it is… [whatever they end up saying] but I don’t really believe a word of it and am only saying it as it is the best way of getting what I want regardless of the need for truth or honesty.”
But I'm a bit of a cynic and would say that, wouldn’t I…
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