Hello! It’s konkaz (@konkazuk).
The book I’m introducing this time is “How They Broke Britain” by James O’Brien, a renowned presenter and journalist from LBC (London Broadcasting Company) radio station.
As for the content of the book…
it’s absolutely rich and intense.
It’s so overwhelming, filled with one shocking fact after another that makes you go, “Wait, what? Seriously?” Honestly, it’s infuriating to read.
Given its release timing, I felt this book had an expiration date, something I had to finish before the UK general election in July 2024, so I dived in with full focus. However, seeing the current situation in the UK, I now realize it’s relevant far beyond that.
Taking the riots that occurred after the election as an example, we’re in a precarious situation in this age of social media addiction. Many of us are quick to believe the exaggerated facts and fake news constantly pushed at us by the media, putting us in an extremely dangerous situation.
In such circumstances, this book, authored by an “LBC presenter” who debates live with callers rather than hosting people who share the same views, unveils important truths that ordinary citizens, likely numbed by ongoing political rule violations, might not fully comprehend.
From the perspective of a journalist and a presenter at the UK’s most popular radio station, fully immersed in the country’s affairs every day, the author selects 10 of the worst figures who have ruined the country through their use of the media, negligence, arrogance, and blatant lies, delivering with anger what was happening behind the scenes.
The influence of media control
So, as I mentioned in the introduction, the most troublesome issue in our time is the media.
Before reading this book, I had never heard of the first three people it covers – Rupert Murdoch, Paul Dacre, and Andrew Neil – but the terrifying truth is that a vast amount of media is controlled by just a small group of individuals.
① Rupert Murdoch
Starting with Rupert Murdoch, the Australian-born mogul, he controls and owns a significant number of media companies, mainly in Australia, the UK, and the US, giving him tremendous global power.
In the UK alone, he owns quite a lineup of newspapers, including The Sun, The Times, The Sunday Times, and News of the World (which was shut down in 2011 due to the phone-hacking scandal).
(And in the U.S., he owns Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and New York Post, and until Disney acquired it in 2019, he even owned the movie studio 20th Century Fox!)
With such a large number of media companies under his control, media concentration increases, and the information that ordinary people see and hear is more likely to come from Murdoch-owned sources, inevitably limiting the diversity of opinions and perspectives.
On top of that, the general public loves sensational news. Especially in this digital age, journalists within newspapers tend to write exaggerated stories to grab the attention of readers and consumers.
What happens when a billionaire like Murdoch, who owns numerous newspapers, allows people like Piers Morgan—who have no moral compass and are willing to write blatant lies—to do whatever they want for his own gain?
Sadly, this is exactly what’s happening in both the UK and the US today.
Moreover, Murdoch himself tends to support right-leaning political ideologies, and he is able to exert substantial influence over politics through the media outlets he owns.
Before Brexit, which drove the UK into its current crisis, the City editor of London’s free paper “Evening Standard” asked Murdoch, “Why are you so against the EU?”
Murdoch reportedly responded,
“That’s simple. When I go to Downing Street, the Conservative government does whatever I ask. But in Brussels, no one listens to me.”
(He’s completely tied to the Conservative Party, isn’t he?)
② Paul Dacre
Although not owned by Murdoch, there is also the right-leaning tabloid, the Daily Mail, in the UK.
Paul Dacre was the editor of this tabloid for over 15 years, right up until 2018.
He differs slightly from Murdoch, convinced that his way of seeing the world is the only valid one, and relentlessly employs the media to target and attack his enemies, in an almost pathological way.
Given his nature, it’s no surprise that he attacks opposing views using dirty tactics, fabricates stories, and engages in outrageous defamation.
And when asked to justify the content of his articles and given the opportunity for an interview, he is a coward who never shows up.
Incidentally, Paul Dacre’s “Daily Mail” has been banned from Wikipedia for publishing too many false stories, after staff requested its removal to safeguard the site’s reliability.
③ Andrew Neil
Having worked as editor of “The Sunday Times” under Rupert Murdoch, Andrew Neil shares a close relationship with him, especially when it comes to the newspaper’s editorial policies and political leanings. (He also went on to contribute to the “Daily Mail.”)
What’s shocking is the fact that he served as the host of a major political show on the BBC for many years.
The BBC is known for its image of providing neutral news to the public, but with his power, it appears that wasn’t always the reality.
Apparently, behind the scenes, there was a tendency to bully and financially penalize journalists who weren’t sympathetic to neoliberalism or Brexit, or those who didn’t support the justification of racist attacks under the pretext of concerns about immigration, creating a toxic environment.
It’s said that when applying to the BBC, people agonize over their past involvement in political movements that weren’t right-wing.
Both BBC journalists and managers live in constant fear of being blamed or bullied depending on how they act. For instance, if they try to report the facts, this is what could happen…
⚫ While the country was in lockdown during the pandemic, it became obvious to the public that Conservative MPs were breaking the very rules they had set. However, when the BBC tried to report on it, they were accused of deliberately attacking the Conservatives and were further criticized by right-wing media, which questioned the BBC’s impartiality. (With so much right-wing media coverage, the public naturally started to believe that narrative.)
⚫ Even though the BBC uncovered that Nigel Farage (now a member of Reform UK) and others who pushed for Brexit were using Facebook to target far-right supporters like National Front and the BNP, they are pressured from various angles and cannot report it effectively.
After leaving the BBC in 2020, Andrew Neil launched “GB News” in 2021, but some of its programs have sparked controversy for featuring far-right figures. (Nigel Farage, known for his far-right leanings, is now one of the hosts.)
With most of the country’s media leaning right and working hand in hand with the Conservative Party to damage the nation, far-right movements have also used the media to gain influence. As a result, even if Labour takes power, a tough future lies ahead.
Brexit
It is “Brexit” that brought about the disastrous situation of the UK economy.
Conservative MPs have deliberately avoided discussing Brexit, the primary cause of the country’s economic decline, right up until the very end before the change in government.
④ Matthew Elliot
Matthew Elliott was the director of “Vote Leave,” the campaign group formed to support the UK’s departure from the EU.
When the “Vote Leave” campaign was accused of breaking election laws, Elliott failed to cooperate with the investigation and did not submit the necessary documents. A BBC interview was set up two weeks before the report’s release, but instead of facing tough questions, Elliott used the platform to deny the allegations without being challenged.
This ultimately created a situation where right-wing, pro-Brexit media could thrive.
In the end, it was revealed that they had spent more than the allowed amount on their campaign, and due to their failure to cooperate with the investigation and spreading false information, they were fined heavily.
However, by this point, Brexit had already been achieved, so the penalty had little effect on them.
In a referendum that would decide whether the country stays in or leaves the EU – a decision of immense importance to the public – such rule-breaking was ultimately allowed to pass.
As previously mentioned, the situation at the BBC was already problematic, but it’s clear that the entire process was manipulated, especially since two senior advisors to then-Prime Minister Theresa May were serving as top figures in “Vote Leave” and offering favorable comments. (One year later, Boris Johnson, who had been the prominent figure for “Vote Leave,” became Prime Minister…)
Elliott also founded the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) in 2004, well before Brexit, aiming to reduce government spending and reform the tax system. While the organization publicly claims to protect taxpayers’ interests, it is funded by conservative think tanks and foundations, leading many to believe it actually promotes policies that benefit large corporations and the wealthy.
(It should be noted that reducing government spending often leads to cuts in social welfare and public healthcare.)
Furthermore, Elliott is connected with the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), which promotes free-market economics and deregulation. It’s clear that someone with these affiliations cannot truly be an advocate for the public’s interests.
⑤ Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage had been advocating for the UK’s withdrawal since founding the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in 1993.
Connected with far-right groups, he often links minor everyday incidents to immigration issues, creating narratives out of seemingly unrelated occurrences.
The stories themselves are often far-fetched and questionable, but by repeatedly presenting them, he gradually implanted the idea that “immigrants are a threat” into the minds of the public.
Furthermore, within the Conservative Party, there were many members who shared Nigel Farage’s views on immigration issues, Muslims, and refugees.
Since speaking such views publicly could jeopardize their positions within the party, therefore, individuals like Farage had been extremely valuable to them.
Farage’s tactic was to create a false enemy by constantly repeating claims in his speeches and media appearances, such as “native blood is being diluted by immigrants,” “jobs are being taken away from British citizens,” and “we are under the control of Brussels.” He then positioned himself as the solution, typical of *populist politicians, by promising to stop these threats and protect the people if they supported him.
These methods played a major role in shaping the attitudes of voters backing the UK’s departure from the EU.
As he steadily increased the sense of fear and hostility towards immigrants among the British population, he strongly supported the “Leave” campaign in the 2016 referendum, which led to the UK leaving the EU.
In 2014, Nigel Farage appeared on James O’Brien‘s show on LBC to challenge his criticism of UKIP (as seen in the video below), but he kept piling excuses on top of excuses. When caught in a lie, he tried to change the subject, and whenever cornered, he just portrayed himself as the victim, making no real progress in the discussion.
*Populist
A political leader or a form of political activism that attacks established authorities and elites, presenting themselves as the defenders of the people, and aiming to gain support by emphasizing that they put citizens’ interests first.
⑥ David Cameron
Out of his own vanity, he risked the country’s future by asking, “Remain in the EU or leave?”
This gamble ultimately brought about the unexpected result of the UK’s departure from the EU.
He can be considered the worst figure who directly caused the UK’s departure from the EU, ultimately ruining the economic and diplomatic achievements that politicians had worked on for the last fifty years.
David Cameron was born into a very wealthy family with noble blood, attended Eton College, a private school for royals, and later went on to study at Oxford University.
During his gap year before entering university, his connections were so strong that he was given the opportunity to work in Parliament by the great-grandparents of a Conservative MP.
So, with no substantial frontline political experience, he ended up becoming Prime Minister at the age of 43, thanks to the connections he built through his family and elite schooling… a true silver-spoon kid.
At the time the Cameron government took office in 2010, the UK was facing a swollen fiscal deficit as a result of the financial crisis of 2008 and the subsequent economic recession.
At that point, they made up the claim that the 2008 financial crisis was caused not by the U.S. subprime mortgage scandal, but by Labour’s excessive public sector investment, misleading the public. Along with Chancellor George Osborne, they significantly cut funding to public services.
This led to cuts in NHS funding, which caused chronic understaffing, increased patient waiting times, and financial strain on hospitals. Consequently, many people were affected by “delays in ambulance response times” and “strikes from ambulance drivers, nurses, and junior doctors”.
In addition, the government reduced the budget for unemployment benefits and services for people with disabilities, putting more financial strain on low-income earners and disabled individuals.
And while saying, ‘We’re all in this together, fighting through these tough times,’ in 2012, they cut taxes for the country’s top earners.
As a result, social inequality widened, and poverty became a more serious issue. It was at this moment, with growing public dissatisfaction, that…
Nigel Farage, leading UKIP, entered the scene.
With the rise of UKIP, concerns grew that they would steal votes from the Conservative Party. This led Cameron, in an effort to ease public frustration with the EU and weaken UKIP’s impact, to promise a referendum on the EU if the Conservatives won the 2015 election.
⑦ Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn became the leader of the Labour Party in 2015 and is known for being one of the most left-wing socialists within the party.
Furthermore, he has long been a supporter of Palestinian rights and has strongly opposed the Israeli government’s occupation and settlement activities in Gaza and the West Bank.
While I agree with Jeremy Corbyn’s support for Palestine rather than Israel, as a party leader, it’s quite problematic that he invited an extremist anti-Semitic figure for tea in the House of Commons and made comments defending an artist lamenting the destruction of an anti-Semitic mural he had painted.
When some members and supporters of the party made discriminatory comments against Jews, Corbyn’s response was too slow, therefore, it’s no surprise that he is perceived as an anti-Semitic person.
At the end of the day…
he was too focused on international human rights issues, particularly the situation in Palestine, and did not dedicate enough effort to the significant domestic issue of Brexit.
During the Brexit referendum, the Labour Party supported remaining in the EU, but according to Diane Abbott, who has been a Labour Party member since the 1980s (and represents my constituency of Hackney North), Jeremy Corbyn himself was originally “anti-European Union”.
Thus, despite the party’s position of campaigning for EU membership, the lack of enthusiasm and inability to present clear strategies for Brexit resulted in a failure to demonstrate active leadership, causing divisions within the party and leading some supporters to favour leaving.
After the Brexit…
In the aftermath of Brexit, the fact that Brexit had already inflicted severe damage on the UK economy, combined with the media and Conservative Party acting with impunity, has left the country in a dire situation.
⑧ Dominic Cummings
Dominic Cummings served as the director of ‘Vote Leave’ and has quite impressive connections, as his father-in-law is a “noble” and his wife is the editor of the political magazine “The Spectator”, which is chaired by Andrew Neil.
He appears to have founded and led a think tank named the ‘New Frontier Foundation’ in 2003, which included members like the UKIP treasurer, people connected to the Heritage Foundation (a conservative group promoting reductions in social welfare, relaxation of environmental regulations, and increased immigration restrictions), and those who regularly wrote for ‘Fox News’ and the ‘Daily Telegraph’.
In that think tank, it seems they claimed that…
the BBC was a “mortal enemy” of the Conservative Party,
and they established a network to conduct exhaustive investigations into the BBC, looking for ways to damage its reputation and pushing to leak information to rival media outlets.
Furthermore, they argued that “the Conservative Party can only thrive in the long term by undermining the reputation of the BBC“.
According to a blog he posted in September 2004…
There are three structural things that the right needs to happen in terms of communications…
① the undermining of the BBC’s credibility.
② the creation of a Fox News equivalent / talk radio shows / bloggers etc to shift the centre of gravity.
③ the end of the ban on TV political advertising.
Additionally, it was suggested that “government ministers should avoid appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.” This actually occurred later when he served as an advisor to Boris Johnson.
In any case, he was skilled in using media strategies.
When Boris Johnson became Prime Minister, he appointed Dominic Cummings as an advisor to devise strategies for successfully executing Brexit. What’s interesting about him is that, while assisting Boris, he harboured a strong aversion to the Conservative Party itself.
He felt frustrated by the bureaucracy of the Conservative Party and looked down on traditional members, whom he regarded as elites, leading to a conflict with Boris Johnson’s administration.
⑨ Boris Johnson
Like David Cameron, he attended Eton College, a private school.
Throughout his student days and during his time as a journalist in Brussels, he exaggerated facts and fabricated lies, causing quite a stir.
Basically, he’s just messing around, and there’s nothing that can be done about it.
Initially, Boris Johnson worked at the Daily Telegraph, and the editor who sent him to Brussels is said to have expressed that while it was fine for him to be an entertainer as Mayor of London, he should absolutely never be put in charge of the country.
That same editor, who criticized him, did attempt to keep him in line but never went as far as to dismiss him.
In the meantime, he started appearing on the BBC, and despite scandals, including those involving women, both the UK media and powerful figures in the Conservative Party found his antics amusing and let him do as he pleased, allowing Boris Johnson to become an untouchable figure.
Boris was appointed as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport in 2004 by then-Conservative leader Michael Howard. However, due to Boris’s behavior, Howard asked him to resign from his post, but Boris refused to comply.
Like Donald Trump in the U.S., when criticized, he denies everything he’s done, never apologizes, and keeps lying, growing bigger and bigger.
He’s built a situation where no one takes his misconduct seriously, and interviewers trying to interrogate him are left with no choice but to laugh in the end, which gives the impression to viewers and voters that he’s just a joker.
In this way, his attitude of being able to get away with anything spread from media owners and editorial teams to the elections, leading to the downfall of everything.
Five examples of his “misconduct” are outlined towards the end of the chapter, so I’ll translate them here.
⚫ His betrayal of British citizens abducted by a rogue regime.
When a British citizen is abducted abroad for unjust reasons, it’s the Foreign Secretary’s duty to work toward their release. However, in 2017, when Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman, was imprisoned by the Iranian regime while visiting her family, accused of spying, he failed to take the matter seriously and instead made misleading comments, worsening her situation.
⚫ His mysterious assignations with a former KGB spy.
In 2018, in Wiltshire, South West England, former Russian diplomat Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia fell critically ill after being exposed to a nerve agent contained in perfume. This incident raised suspicions of Russian involvement, leading to a NATO meeting (British authorities identified two Russians as suspects).
Afterwards, Boris made a direct stop at the Italian villa owned by Evgeny Lebedev, son of Alexander Lebedev, a former KGB colonel who had also served Vladimir Putin, to attend a party. The details of Boris’s conversations there remain a mystery.
However, on the very day he became Prime Minister in December 2019, he attended a Christmas party hosted by Lebedev, alongside his then-girlfriend Carrie Symonds. The following year, Boris appointed Evgeny Lebedev to the House of Lords.
In 2022, the Canadian government acknowledged that Alexander Lebedev was one of 14 individuals involved in Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, Italian intelligence confirmed that Evgeny Lebedev maintains friendly ties with Putin.
While engaging in such actions, Boris Johnson projected a sympathetic stance towards Ukraine, consistently adapting his responses to suit his own interests.
⚫ His Brexit lies about Northern Ireland
When Brexit came into effect, it would mean…
Northern Ireland → classified as part of the UK
the Republic of Ireland → included in the EU.
In order to uphold the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended the violent conflict between Unionists and Nationalists in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Protocol was introduced in 2019. This kept Northern Ireland within the EU’s single market, avoiding a physical border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and instead establishing inspection points in the Irish Sea.
However, in 2020, in an effort to win over Unionist support, he falsely claimed, “There will absolutely be no border in the Irish Sea.” (This statement was contrary to EU rules that require checkpoints for goods traveling from the mainland UK to Northern Ireland.)
⚫ The corruption of parliamentary democracy
Despite the fact that a no-deal Brexit—leaving the EU without an agreement—poses significant risks to UK businesses due to regulatory differences and tariffs that did not exist during EU membership, Boris Johnson unilaterally removed the whip from 21 MPs who challenged this decision, effectively expelling them from the party.
This fostered an environment in which no-deal Brexit was perceived as the ideal solution, aligning perfectly with the interests of radical patriots within the party. As a result, it became necessary to rely on the support of far-right, anti-immigrant Nigel Farage to secure electoral victories.
The 2016 bill was viewed as a surrender to the EU, and attempts to proceed democratically were seen as obstacles. Furthermore, pro-European politicians were accused of being complicit in hindering progress. In Parliament, pro-European politicians continued to expose the lies and dangers of the promises Boris made to the public regarding Brexit, striving to prevent the Conservative Party from being filled with those who either failed to grasp the seriousness of the situation or pretended not to understand it. However, ultimately, they could not put a stop to this trend.
When democratic proposals were made in Parliament to challenge Boris and his entourage, they resorted to the despicable act of suspending Parliament to evade the law. In the end, Boris consistently pursued whatever was convenient for him year after year, quelling dissent or shifting blame whenever complaints arose.
⚫ His lethal handling of COVID-19
According to Dominic Cummings, who was an advisor to Boris Johnson, in mid-February 2020, when the pandemic was confirmed, most key party members were busy skiing, and they were occupied responding to Donald Trump’s request for British involvement in airstrikes in Iraq until mid-March. Cummings stated that Boris himself was preoccupied with his partner Carrie Symonds’ outrage over how the media treated their dog.
Johnson showed no serious commitment to addressing the coronavirus, making bold statements about getting infected himself to prove it was harmless, but ultimately ended up suffering from the virus. Had he taken it more seriously, there would likely have been fewer deaths, but it seemed like a completely external issue for him.
Additionally, during the lockdown, multiple parties were held in government offices, leading to a situation where the media participated in creating excuses to conceal these events. By the time these parties came to light, Johnson had already resigned. Moreover, even in his resignation, he awarded titles to individuals based on personal preference rather than those who had made meaningful contributions to society.
Thus, he will go down in history as one of the most irresponsible prime ministers that Britain has ever had.
⑩ Liz Truss
Indeed, this individual is terrible.
Liz Truss started off opposing Brexit but eventually reversed her position and studied Boris Johnson’s tactics from the sidelines.
With Boris’s resignation on the horizon, it seems that her association with right-wing think tanks developed behind the scenes and the incorporation of Nigel Farage’s far-right views during Brexit played a significant role in supporting her.
She defeated Rishi Sunak, who is not white, and finally rose to the position of Prime Minister.
On September 23, 2023, Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, under Liz Truss’s government, announced a destructive “mini-budget” proposal that would further impact the already economically exhausted UK due to Brexit.
The mini-budget proposed policies that disproportionately benefited certain wealthy individuals, including the removal of the 45% income tax rate for high-income earners, a freeze on the planned rise in corporate tax, and a decrease in stamp duty for those purchasing homes.
Interestingly, the Chancellor declined to publish the Office for Budget Responsibility’s autumn 2022 economic forecast. As a result, the nation’s economic stability was obscured, causing the UK to be viewed with suspicion by foreign observers.
Despite the warnings from the Office for Budget Responsibility, Liz Truss and the Chancellor proceeded with an estimated £45 billion in tax cuts without any funding, leaving the method behind the substantial borrowing unclear.
This policy triggered severe inflation and led the government to accumulate an even larger deficit.
In the end, after firing the Chancellor of the Exchequer, she resigned as well.
In just 45 days of office, she inflicted around £30 billion in losses on the UK economy.
Afterword / Rishi Sunak
With the count for Liz Truss reaching ten individuals, I will also add Rishi Sunak here, as he was mentioned at the end.
He was the last Prime Minister while the Conservative Party was in power, but the people he chose were dreadful.
First, as soon as Rishi Sunak took office as Prime Minister in October 2022, he reappointed the notoriously infamous Suella Braverman.
With wages stagnating and prices skyrocketing, more people are unable to pay rent, leading to a sharp increase in homelessness.
During this time, she claimed that “homelessness is a lifestyle choice,” labeled those living in tents as “criminals,” and showed a terrible attitude by demanding fines against charities that help them. (Are you heartless?)
Following her, former Prime Minister David Cameron, who was responsible for the causes of Brexit, was appointed as her successor. The situation shows no signs of improvement and remains extremely dire.
Moreover, he has appointed a deputy chair of the Conservative Party who claims that food banks are unnecessary for people struggling to afford groceries, boldly stating that they should be able to live on just 30 pence a day.
In January 2023, Rishi made five promises to the public:
⚫ To halve inflation in order to ease the cost of living.
⚫ To boost the economy and create more high-paying jobs.
⚫ To reduce national debt and improve public services.
⚫ To cut NHS waiting lists so that citizens can receive treatment promptly.
⚫ To halve inflation to ease the cost of living.
However, none of these promises were fulfilled.
That concludes the content of the book.
Although the Labour Party has taken over the government, there is no budget left, making it impossible to satisfy all areas simultaneously under such circumstances.
Consequently, they are dealing with the situation by prioritizing improvements in some areas at the expense of others, fully aware of the public’s discontent.
Meanwhile, the Conservative Party continues its relentless attacks on the Labour Party, despite having caused the current issues.
I hope that James O’Brien‘s book, “How They Broke Britain,” will be read by many people so that they can understand the current situation and think critically about their positions without being misled by superficial “populist” media.
I’ve summarized it briefly, but if you’d like to delve deeper into the content, feel free to check it out here. 👇
Bye now,
konkaz
*You can read this blog post in Japanese from the link below.
👉“How They Broke Britain” 要約: 保守党がメディアと連携して国を破壊した実態とは？