‘At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.’ It is a noble sentiment, long spoken every Remembrance Sunday at countless churches and memorials across the country. But sadly, not all of Britain’s leading public sector organisations are fulfilling that spirit this year. Among the worst offers is Police Scotland, which managed to not only fail to mark the occasion on its Twitter account yesterday, but actually posted a reminder about a Sikh holiday at the fateful hour of 11 a.m. So much for Remembrance… Now Mr S can bring news of another blunder.
The British Library – that bastion of education and enlightenment – managed to mark the occasion yesterday by getting the time of the two-minute silence completely wrong. Attendees at the Agatha Christie exhibition were bemused that the occasion of 11 a.m came and went without reminder on Sunday. But then at 11:42 there blasted over the tannoy an announcement that the Library would shortly be marking the ceremony. At 11:57, perplexed visitors were told ‘the two minute-silence begins now’ which was followed at 11:59 by a further declaration saying ‘thank you for observing the two-minute silence.’
This case does not need Poirot to solve as it is likely to be more cock up than conspiracy. But talk about committing a criminal offence, eh?
Steerpike's item mocks two institutions for mishandling Remembrance Sunday. It pins the 11am Sikh festival post on Police Scotland, while both Daily Mail reports of the same event say the post came from the Scottish Government's account. The British Library account of the mistimed silence is told plainly and nothing in the material contradicts it.
Opinion piece: read for false claims of fact and for fairness to the people it names, not for its opinions.
Makes a false claim
Serious
“Among the worst offers is Police Scotland, which managed to not only fail to mark the occasion on its Twitter account yesterday, but actually posted a reminder about a Sikh holiday at the fateful hour of 11 a.m.”
Why this matters
The Spectator names Police Scotland as the body that posted about a Sikh holiday at 11am and failed to mark Remembrance on its Twitter account.
The impression it gives
A reader believes Police Scotland, the national police force, put out a Sikh festival post during the two-minute silence and ignored Remembrance.
The context
Both Daily Mail reports of the same event say the 11am post about Bandi Chhor Divas came from the Scottish Government's accounts, not Police Scotland. The Mail's morning report, published before this item, also says the Scottish Government posted on Facebook about the First Minister laying a wreath.
The Scottish Government's X account posted about the Sikh festival Bandi Chhor Divas at 11am and made no post about Remembrance Sunday on X, although it posted on Facebook about the First Minister laying a wreath.