Unmasking State-Sponsored Prejudice: Taxpayer-Funded Bias Eroding Britain’s Christian Heritage and Rewriting Our History

In 2026, Britain finds itself grappling with a disturbing trend: publicly funded institutions, entrusted with preserving and celebrating our nation’s rich heritage, are instead promoting ideological agendas that undermine Christianity—the very foundation of much of that heritage. This is not the work of fringe activists or privately funded lobby groups, but of organisations like English Heritage and the National Trust, sustained by taxpayer money and charitable donations.

Their actions represent a blatant rewriting of history, starkly similar to the dystopian “Newspeak” in George Orwell’s 1984, where facts are twisted to serve a narrative of exclusion and erasure. This article exposes these practices, highlights the profound failures in duty and governance, and calls for urgent accountability.

The Evidence: Taxpayer-Funded Antipathy Towards Christianity

Recent revelations paint a stark picture of institutional bias. English Heritage, the charity responsible for managing over 400 historic sites, has admitted to promoting what has been described as a “nonsense theory” about Christmas. In a December 2025 article by MSN[1], reporting The Telegraph[2] of December 17, 2025  the organisation conceded that it had disseminated misleading information questioning the Christian origins or traditions of the festive season, framing it in a way that diminished its religious significance. This admission came after public outcry, underscoring a pattern where Christian festivals are reframed or downplayed to align with secular or alternative narratives. Such actions not only distort historical facts but also alienate a significant portion of the British public whose cultural identity is intertwined with Christian traditions.

Even more egregious are the actions of the National Trust, another taxpayer-supported charity dedicated to conserving places of historic interest and natural beauty. According to reports from Voice for Justice UK (VfJUK), the Trust has repeatedly demonstrated exclusionary practices against Christians. In one incident, Catholic filmmaker Christian Holden was denied permission to film a documentary on the Way of St Cuthbert—a pilgrimage route from Melrose Abbey to Lindisfarne— at St Cuthbert’s Cave, explicitly because of the project’s “religious affiliation.” This decision was made despite the site’s deep Christian historical ties, dating back to the 7th century.

VfJUK’s follow-up investigation revealed further hypocrisy. The Trust claimed the refusal was a “mistake” and asserted that it welcomes all to celebrate cultural and religious heritage, including Christian festivals like Christmas and Easter. However, evidence contradicts this: a 2023 YouTube video on the Trust’s own channel promotes a Ramadan walk and retreat at Ilam Park in Derbyshire, complete with Muslim prayers and unrelated to the site’s heritage.

Meanwhile, Christian filming requests face a “total ban” mandated at the highest levels.

Earlier controversies include the Trust’s 2017 promotion of LGBTQ+ lanyards, which sparked membership cancellations, and its 2023 decision to remove Christmas and Easter from its public calendar, replacing them with Diwali, Eid, and Ramadan.

These moves prioritise certain ideologies over others, sidelining Christianity despite its pivotal role in British history since Roman times.

These are not isolated errors but indicative of a concerted effort to reframe Britain’s heritage through a neo-Marxist lens, emphasising themes of colonialism and exploitation while marginalising Christian contributions. Taxpayers foot the bill for this sectarian prejudice, funding institutions that exist to educate, preserve, and unite—not divide.

Failures of Duty: Breaches of Professional Standards, Governance, and Law

The individuals leading these organisations have abjectly failed in their duties. English Heritage and the National Trust were founded on principles of impartial preservation: the National Trust Act 1907 established it to promote the permanent preservation of lands and buildings of beauty or historic interest for the benefit of the nation. English Heritage, spun off from government in 1983 and registered as a charity, shares a similar mandate under its governing statutes to conserve England’s historic environment. By promoting biased narratives and excluding Christian projects, these bodies violate their founding ethos, prioritising ideological agendas over neutral stewardship.

Governance failures are equally glaring. Boards and executives are responsible for ensuring activities align with charitable objects and public benefit. Instead, they have allowed—or actively encouraged—practices that foster division, eroding public trust. Professional standards, as outlined by bodies like the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, demand integrity, objectivity, and accountability. Here, we see none: decisions appear driven by personal or political biases, not evidence-based heritage management.

Most critically, these actions breach UK law, notably charity law under the Charities Act 2011. Section 3 of the Act defines charitable purposes, including the advancement of arts, culture, heritage, or science—purposes these organisations claim to uphold. However, Section 4 requires all charitable activities to provide a “public benefit,” meaning benefits must be accessible to the public at large, without undue restriction. By discriminating against Christian-affiliated projects while favouring others, they fail this test, as it excludes a protected group and distorts heritage education.

The Charity Commission’s guidance in CC9 (Campaigning and Political Activity Guidance for Charities, last updated November 2022) is explicit: charities must remain independent of party politics and cannot engage in activity that supports or opposes a political party (paragraph B1). While charities can campaign on policies to further their purposes, such activity must not be “party political” or biased (paragraph C1).

Promoting narratives that downplay Christianity in favour of alternative ideologies smacks of political motivation, potentially rendering it ultra vires (beyond their powers). Furthermore, the guidance warns that charities must avoid any perception of bias, ensuring campaigns are evidence-based and balanced (paragraph D3). The National Trust’s selective event promotions and filming bans clearly fall foul, as they prioritise certain religious or ideological groups over others.

These breaches extend to the Equality Act 2010, which protects religion or belief as a characteristic under Section 10. Section 13 prohibits direct discrimination, while Section 19 covers indirect discrimination. Denying access based on “religious affiliation” is a textbook violation, as highlighted by VfJUK’s complaint to National Trust Director-General Hilary McGrady. Charities are not exempt; they must comply as service providers and employers.

Echoes of the BBC: A Pattern of Institutional Deceit

This institutional rot mirrors the gross debacles at the BBC, another taxpayer-funded entity, recently exposed for egregious misreporting and outright falsehoods. A leaked memo by former journalist Michael Prescott, revealed by The Daily Telegraph in November 2025, detailed systemic bias in coverage of Donald Trump, Israel, and Gaza. Specific examples include:

• Editing a Panorama episode on Trump’s 6 January 2021 speech, splicing parts to mislead viewers into believing he incited violence when clearly he did not as proven in the legal proceedings that followed. The BBC apologised but refused damages, prompting Trump to threaten a $1bn lawsuit.

• Biased reporting on Israel’s war in Gaza, with whistleblowers alleging underreporting of Hamas atrocities while amplifying unverified Palestinian claims, creating a skewed narrative.

• Ignoring a second memo on Gaza bias, as accused in Telegraph reports, further evidencing a cover-up.

  
  

• Broader patterns of misinformation, such as over-reliance on unverified Hamas-sourced casualty figures and downplaying or whitewashing certain Hamas atrocities to fit narratives critical of Israel.[3]

These are the currently known examples, but as Prescott’s document warns, they represent “only the beginning”—doubtless more will emerge as scrutiny intensifies. The scandals led to the resignations of Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness on 9 November 2025, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy describing the allegations as “very serious” and urging the BBC to uphold the highest standards of impartiality. ^[4] In response, the BBC announced a review of its Middle East coverage in December 2025, which remains ongoing as of February 2026.[5]  The BBC’s chair has promised responses to parliamentary committees, but the damage to public trust is profound.

Like the heritage bodies, the BBC has failed its charter duties of impartiality under the Broadcasting Act 1996, prioritising ideology over truth.

A Call to Account: Time for Action

This cannot continue unchecked. Government must intervene: the Culture Secretary should launch an inquiry into taxpayer funding for biased institutions, while MPs demand transparency on governance. The Charity Commission, as regulator, must investigate under its powers in the Charities Act 2011 (Sections 46-52), potentially removing trustees or imposing sanctions for breaches of public benefit and political neutrality.

The press and media—exemplified by The Daily Telegraph’s exposés—must do much more to serve the public interest, uncovering further evidence and holding leaders accountable.

Finally, the people of Britain should take action: cancel memberships, write to MPs, support groups like VfJUK, and demand audits.

Only through collective action can we reclaim our institutions for impartial celebration of our shared heritage.  Orwell’s nightmare already shows signs of being present in Britain. We are in a crisis and The People must wake up.

[1] See: English Heritage admits promoting 'nonsense' theory about Christmas - https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/music/english-heritage-admits-promoting-nonsense-theory-about-christmas/ar-AA1SxFAJ?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=6946fcb0acaa4a5c9bd958e3a1acf3c1&ei=13

[2] See: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/17/english-heritage-promoting-nonsense-theory-christmas-jesus

[3] YouTube (Jonathan Turner discussion), “BBC’s false & biased Israel coverage highlighted by whistleblower exposé” (November 2025), alleging BBC Arabic boosted Hamas claims and minimized Israeli suffering; Al Jazeera Media Institute, “Leaked BBC Memo: What Does the Crisis Reveal?” (20 November 2025).

[4] BBC News, “BBC bosses treating ‘systemic bias’ allegations seriously, Nandy says” (9 November 2025).

[5] The Daily Telegraph, “BBC to review Middle East coverage in wake of bias scandal” (19 December 2025).