Photo: Horse Chestnut, Hannaford
This what I sent to BBC Complaints on Thursday:
Between 8am and 8.30 am this morning, the Today presenter Nick Robinson interviewed a North London rabbi who referred to ‘hate marches’. This phrase was not queried or challenged by Robinson. He then interviewed the Home Secretary and asked her a leading question about marches in support of the Palestinians being ‘hi-jacked’ by extremist groups.
I am complaining because no evidence was offered about the nature of the marches - organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War and others. They are exemplary marches containing Jewish groups as well as Muslims, Christians and secular members. They represent the conscience of middle England - or Britain, rather, as supporters also come from Scotland and Wales. We march in support of Palestinians and in protest at the genocide being committed by Israel. This unchecked genocide, continuing despite a supposed ceasefire, is abhorrent to large numbers of Britons, Jews included.
As the BBC does not report on the marches - why not? - how would it know if they were hate-filled, hi-jacked or anything else?
As a loyal friend of the BBC and contributor to programmes on BBC radio and TV over many years I am appalled and distressed by your failure as outlined above.
Unfortunately, the same bias continued when Wes Streeting was interviewed on the World at One later that day: after hearing a member of Stop the War explain that intifada, as in ‘global intifada’, simply means ‘struggle’ (for justice for the Palestinians), Streeting simply denied that was the meaning. There was no evidence and, of course, no challenge from the hapless Jonny Dymond. On Friday morning the same narrative continued, with no acknowledgement that many Jewish people take part in the marches against the Israeli genocide. And no acknowledgement that the major contributor to anti-semitism world-wide is the continuing violence, extended into Lebanon, by the extremist Israeli government. This is serious misinformation. What can one do, apart from sending in Complaints, even though they make no difference? At least the Green Party continues to press the government vigorously on the issue.
Photo: Claire Moodie of Earth Action addressing the Civic Celebration
Cllr Caroline Leaver, chair of Devon County Council, asked me to speak at the Civic Celebration she organised in the Assembly Room at South Molton last Sunday. I gave a five minute speech on Culture in North Devon. Claire Moodie spoke very well on the climate crisis and her organisation Earth Action. Jasmine Van Santen was excellent on the role of the Devon Youth Council and its new initiative - Places To Go Things to Do. There were costumes and chains of office worn by grandees. I was impressed by Jed, a former homeless young man from Exeter who read an eloquent poem on finding and becoming himself thanks to people he mentioned by name. I congratulated him and Jasmine on their fine contributions. An uplifting occasion.
Photo by Nick Withers of Sustainable Chulmleigh: MHB with Nic Viney (regenerative farmer and artist) and Maddy Harland (founder and editor of Permaculture magazine).
We were on a panel discussing the People’s Emergency Briefing film screened by Sustainable Chulmleigh on Wednesday evening, well chaired by Cllr Ed Tyldesley. I was able to explain the positive impact Extinction Rebellion had had in 2019 in prompting the House of Commons to declare a Climate Emergency, which cascaded around the councils of the UK and led to carbon net zero targets being put in place. I also spoke of the renewable energy initiatives North Devon Council is pursuing: a solar array on the Crematorium, another to be installed on the council offices (plus an air source heat pump), with the Pannier Market and the Green Lanes Shopping Centre due for solar arrays too when funding allows. . There will be more screenings of this essential film around North Devon in the coming weeks.
Did I really hear a Cuckoo as I sat in the summerhouse by our pond last Tuesday at 6.30pm? My Merlin app thinks it heard one. I’ll be listening intently from now on. The latest arrival in the garden is Bogbean in flower, as below. Thank you for reading and I trust that the switch from Substack to Beehiiv has gone smoothly.
