Politics entered a dark and ugly place this week.
There was shouting and aggressive language from MPs on both sides of the Commons, with a tradition of civility giving way to a culture of division and bigotry.
There are people in all political parties who are responsible for this but it is especially unsettling to watch Boris Johnson stoke the flames of division.
With the office of Prime Minister comes the responsibility to set the tone of the nation’s conversation.
Mr Johnson demeaned his position on Wednesday by dismissing an MP’s concern for her safety as “humbug” and insulting the memory of murdered MP Jo Cox.
His repeated attacks on Parliament are dangerously irresponsible at a time when MPs and their children are facing death threats.
If this is allowed to continue, good people will be driven away from politics and, at the very worst, another life will be lost.
We can and must do better.
BBC’s bad call
The BBC has made a serious error of judgment by upholding a complaint against Naga Munchetty.
The BBC Breakfast presenter was ruled to have breached editorial guidelines by criticising Donald Trump for saying four BAME politicians should “go back home”.
For some reason the BBC’s reportedly all-white editorial panel concluded that telling the truth breached its impartiality rules.
The BBC should think again. By upholding the complaint it implies that Trump’s comments were not offensive and presenters have no right to condemn racism and bigotry.
Wild, Sir David
For more than 60 years Sir David Attenborough has brought the wonders of the natural world to our living rooms.
And he’s making a new wildlife programme that will air when he’s 95.
He really is a force of nature.
