UK
Right-wingers’ launch annual ‘Christmas is cancelled’ outrage

Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead

Yesterday
LEFT FOOT FORWARD

'As by magic, poppy rage gives way to “they’re banning Christmas.'

We’re halfway through November, the time of year when the enraged cries of ‘Christmas is cancelled’ hit the pages of the right-wing press.

The Daily Express, Daily Mail, and GB News haven’t held back this year, targeting a primary school in Hampshire.

‘Fury erupts as school bans Christmas references from festive panto to be ‘inclusive’ seethed the Express.

‘Christmas is CANCELLED’: Festive references ‘banned’ from school pantomime performance to be ‘more inclusive to all faiths,’ was a GB News’ headline on November 12.

But it was the Mail that nailed the ‘exclusive’

The story focuses on a village primary school in Hampshire which reportedly incited anger by informing parents that their production of Jack and the Beanstalk would omit Christmas elements. Following a ‘backlash’ from parents, the headteacher sent out a clarifying letter, stating:

“As this is not a Christmas event, but a pantomime, it can be enjoyed by everyone with the changes we have requested. We are keen that ALL of our children should enjoy the pantomime and for it to be a fully inclusive event, have removed Christmas songs from the production. Children will continue to enjoy our usual Christmas events as we progress through the remainder of this term.”

The Mail’s report cited a number of grievances by parents, claiming that the exclusion from the pantomime undermines the Christian tradition. One said:

“This shouldn’t be allowed. Christmas is celebrated all over the UK and the world, and you just can’t eradicate it so a few people will not be offended.”

“A pantomime is only ever held at Christmas, but it’s crazy that there can be no mention of the word.”

Another said: “The head is wrong pandering to the whim of a small minority of parents.”

Right-wing commentators seized the moment, with GB News columnist Alex Armstrong, posting on X: ‘Leave Christmas alone. We are a Christian country, end of story. We need a Trump level overhaul of our education system.’

The right’s outcry sparked a backlash of its own on social media, where users criticised the hyperbolic response.

“As by magic, poppy rage gives way to “they’re banning Christmas,” remarked one user. Another commented: “No we really don’t [need a Trump level overhaul of our education system] We are an inclusive society.”

As always, these ‘Christmas is cancelled’ stories rarely, if ever, involve anyone saying ‘you’re not allowed to say Christmas.’ Instead, they focus on efforts to be more inclusive.

As Adam Miller, a reporter for the Herald aptly pointed out during a similar outcry in 2022:

“These pundits know that. It’s all part of the grift. Tap into the prejudices of your audience with these dog-whistle talking points regarding the people within British society who don’t celebrate Christmas, and they’ll keep buying your paper, watching your show or boosting your online engagement stats.”

The annual ‘Christmas is cancelled’ uproar is a classic example of advocates of inclusivity striving to accommodate diverse beliefs, while those resisting change resort to clickbait, sensationalism and misinformation.