Nobody Cares about Britain

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

A British institution is fading away: Fish&Chips shops. Half of them are facing closure.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Police struggling to cope as Prevent referrals soar in wake of Southport attack

A record 8,778 people were referred to the government’s anti-extremism scheme in the year to March 2025

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

The Telegraph, whose nickname is the Torygraph, published an internal BBC memo today.

The 19 page long internal memo was created by Michael Prescott, a former advisor to the BBC's Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee until June 2025. So his memo is about how BBC abides to editorial standards or not. The memo was shared with the BBC board and Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Prescott is accusing the BBC of multiple, serious breaches of impartiality and editorial standards.

1. Editing of Trump's January 6, 2021 speech: A Panorama episode ("Trump: A Second Chance?") aired shortly before the 2024 US election allegedly "doctored" and spliced clips from different parts of the speech (nearly an hour apart), making it appear Trump explicitly encouraged the Capitol riot by combining phrases like "peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard" with "fight like hell." Footage of marchers was also used out of sequence to imply they responded directly to his words. Prescott called this "completely misleading," and executives reportedly refused to acknowledge a breach despite internal reviews.

2. Pro-Hamas Bias in Gaza/Israel coverage, especially within BBC Arabic: The service allegedly minimized Israeli suffering (e.g., ignoring child deaths in attacks, portraying terror incidents as "military operations"), amplified Hamas-provided casualty figures without scrutiny, platformed pro-Hamas or antisemitic commentators hundreds of times, and "raced" anti-Israel claims to air without checks—suggesting "carelessness or a desire always to believe the worst about Israel." Stark differences existed between BBC Arabic and English coverage, painting Israel as the aggressor and spreading Hamas propaganda.

3. One-sided trans/gender coverage: Prescott is criticising, that the internal LGBTQ+ desk within BBC has been constantly delivering one-sided pro trans/gender coverage only, while letting critic towards it fall between the cracks willingly.

The BBC so far says it takes feedback seriously, but declined to comment on the document specifically.

This article shows the BBC edit of Trump's speech vs. the original clip. Access Restricted

Here is the full internal memo: Access Restricted

In short the Tories and UKIP are fuming united, saying "Told you so" and demanding consequences.

A cross-party group of MPs in the HoC has commented it with the BBC has "serious questions to answer."

BBC has questions to answer over edited Trump speech on Panorama, MPs say

An episode of Panorama is accused of misleading viewers with its editing of a speech by Donald Trump.

www.bbc.com

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

BBC director general Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness resigned today from their posts immediately. The reason why is the edited Trump video mentioned above.

This is Davie's letter of resignation:

"I wanted to let you know that I have decided to leave the BBC after 20 years. This is entirely my decision, and I remain very thankful to the Chair and Board for their unswerving and unanimous support throughout my entire tenure, including during recent days.

"I am working through exact timings with the Board to allow for an orderly transition to a successor over the coming months.

"I have been reflecting on the very intense personal and professional demands of managing this role over many years in these febrile times, combined with the fact that I want to give a successor time to help shape the Charter plans they will be delivering.

"In these increasingly polarised times, the BBC is of unique value and speaks to the very best of us. It helps make the UK a special place; overwhelmingly kind, tolerant and curious. Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable. While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision.

"Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as Director-General I have to take ultimate responsibility."

Nandy says BBC must 'uphold highest standards' but warns against 'sustained attack' on corporation

The culture secretary tells MPs the BBC "has faced criticism from all sides", as Donald Trump threatens to sue for $1bn over a documentary edit.

www.bbc.com

 

[Innula Zenovka]

A close look at Trump’s $1 billion claim against the BBC

11th November 2025 The litigation letter is weak, but his underlying practical position is not weak * The headlines are eye-catching. Other, similar front pages are here. What is going on? And what…

davidallengreen.com

Also, from The Guardian: With his threat of a $1bn lawsuit against BBC, Trump’s assault on the media goes global

Whichever way you look at it, though, it was a shocking error of judgment to splice the two sentences from Trump's speech, originally spoken some 50 minutes apart, together in the way the programme makers did. That having been said, the basis of the legal action seems pretty flimsy.

 

[Free]

 

[Innula Zenovka]

The Guardian UK pauses intelligence-sharing with US on suspected drug vessels in Caribbean

Britain has suspended the sharing of intelligence with the US on suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean amid concerns information supplied may be used to engage in lethal military strikes by American forces.

Such a decision – a rare rupture between the normally close military allies – would indicate that the UK does not believe the Trump administration’s controversial practice of sinking boats allegedly used by drug traffickers is legal.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

The letter the BBC could send to Trump in reply to his $1bn claim

12th November 2025 Yesterday this blog offered a close reading of the letter Trump’s lawyers had sent to the British Broadcasting Corporation. As a follow-up, this is a letter that the BBC could se…

davidallengreen.com

 

[Free]

The letter the BBC could send to Trump in reply to his $1bn claim

12th November 2025 Yesterday this blog offered a close reading of the letter Trump’s lawyers had sent to the British Broadcasting Corporation. As a follow-up, this is a letter that the BBC could se…

davidallengreen.com

That was not funny. At all.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

The Guardian UK pauses intelligence-sharing with US on suspected drug vessels in Caribbean

This was supposed to be satire.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

That was not funny. At all.

Not quite as good as the answer given in the case of Arkell v Pressdram, but it says much the same thing.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

Not quite as good as the answer given in the case of Arkell v Pressdram, but it says much the same thing.

My favorite reply to a legal threat letter:

Attached is a letter that we received on November 19. 1974. I feel that you should be aware that some asshole is signing your name to stupid letters.

https://www.loweringthebar.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/browns_letter_1974.pdf

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Murder at the BBC

With his little hatchet...

davidaaronovitch.substack.com

Evernote Link

 

[Innula Zenovka]

BBC apologises to Trump over edited speech but rejects compensation claim

The BBC has been considering how to respond to the legal threat since Trump’s angry reaction to the editing of the programme.

However, it is thought that the BBC has also been advised that it has a strong legal case. It remains to be seen how Trump will now respond.

Maybe they read David Allen Green's piece.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

The BBC is right not to pay damages to Trump

By apologising, the broadcaster has taken the sting out of Trump's excessive attack

www.newstatesman.com

Yesterday the BBC offered an apology and a retraction. This was right and proper, given the breach of broadcasting standards. The BBC should not defend the indefensible. When mistakes are made apologies and retractions should follow.

The BBC, however, has refused to pay any damages, either of one billion dollars or at all. This also is right and proper. There was no sound legal basis for a claim for money and so, in turn, there was no sound basis for a public service broadcaster to meet such a demand.

The BBC has expressly provided five reasons for non-payment of damages. These are that the programme was not broadcast in the US and nor was it there available on iPlayer, that the documentary did not cause Trump harm as he was re-elected shortly after, that the clip was not designed to mislead and not done with malice, that the clip needed to be seen in context of the programme as a whole, and that it was a matter of public concern protected by free speech rights.

The BBC is therefore to be congratulated for dealing with this legal threat in the best way. The broadcaster has yielded where it needed to yield, but it is resolute where the claim has overreached itself. This is always the best way for dealing with such legal threats. It removes the leverage for any demands for more.

We do not yet know how Trump and lawyers will react to this sensible, measured response. He may well file suit, for the sake of demanding more. But even if he does, the BBC response so far places the broadcaster in the best position for dealing with any claim.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

SNL - Irish Dating Show.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Jeremy Corbyn's and Zarah Sultana's new left wing party, provisionally called "Your Party", continues to raise questions about breweries and pissups.

Why is Jeremy Corbyn being attacked for being a "Zionist"?

The accusations expose a fault line within Your Party

www.newstatesman.com

 

[Innula Zenovka]

And....

MP quits Corbyn's new left-wing party amid infighting

Independent MP Adnan Hussain claims there is a "toxic" culture in Your Party as he announces he is leaving it.

www.bbc.com

 

[Innula Zenovka]

The Guardian: How Britain replaced the US as Russia’s villain of choice

As Moscow looks to rebuild ties with the Donald Trump administration, Britain has assumed the role once reserved for the US – the Kremlin’s chief adversary and favoured bogeyman in its propaganda war.

“Russia regards itself as on a par with the United States,” said Capt John Foreman, the UK’s former defence attaché to Moscow. “Now they can’t criticise Trump directly, so who do you blame for your woes – for the losses in Ukraine, for a million casualties? You blame the closest thing, the British. It’s easy to portray us as the root of all Russia’s problems.”

 

[Innula Zenovka]

BBC News - Singing of KPop Demon Hunters songs banned at school in Poole - BBC News

Singing of KPop Demon Hunters songs banned at school in Poole

The head teacher tells parents references to demons can feel "deeply uncomfortable" to Christians.

www.bbc.co.uk