Senior BBC employee rants about ‘Jewish-backed’ MPs influencing police resignation

The BBC has been criticised for having “normalised a culture of hate” and exhibiting “fundamental cultural problems” after a longstanding employee talked about “Jewish-backed” MPs leading to the resignation of West Midlands police’s chief constable. 

Tom Poole, a senior broadcast engineer at the BBC for more than 16 years, was found to have taken issue with criticism of the corporation this week after multiple presenters vaguely referred to “six million people murdered by the Nazis” rather than specifically referring to them as Jews.

“Hysteria and nonsense”, he said. “Jews were not the only ones murdered”, before describing it as “a style guide choice. Then a Jewish pile-on”.

Poole, who is a Birmingham resident, also made a series of disturbing remarks concerning the resignation of the West Midlands Chief Constable earlier this month. Craig Guildford retired after concerns relating to the force’s mismanagement of a Europa League tie between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Birmingham last year.

In one tweet, Poole said: “What pisses me off is the ban was the correct decision. But a known Jewish-backed MP was upset and demanded a select committee investigation.”

It is believed that Poole was referring to Nick Timothy, MP for West Suffolk, who grew up in Birmingham and is an Aston Villa fan.

In an apparent reference to Members of Parliament on the Home Affairs Select Committee, which questioned the then-Chief Constable of WM Police, Stephen Guildford, on two occasions, Poole said: “These individuals in some cases take considerable £ from a Jewish lobby. Or Jewish £ backed media. I smell something here. I don’t think I have made all this up. I think I can see what is going on.”

When another Twitter account responded to Poole saying that “We are a deeply corrupt country, now a vassal state of Israel. There must be NO room for quislings in power”, Poole responded saying: “I think it needs an inquiry. I don’t think it’s right.” When the same account said that “virtually all our institutions are controlled by Zionists”, Poole responded: “Influenced not conrrolled [sic]. But Israeli £ in politics, it needs attention.” Another tweet by Poole read: “UEFA should have banned the club. The Jewish pile on on this incident is ill judged and misplaced hysteria. MPs should know better.”

On another occasion last July, Poole invited Grok, the AI tool available on Twitter, to engage in Holocaust inversion, saying: “If we look back 100 years and recall the persecution of the Jews by Adolf Hitler. Is there parallel in the actions of Netanyahu and what is the generative psychology which has left him so able to risk the lives of Palestinians? Why is he so evil?” When the Grok AI tool disagreed with Poole’s premise, describing it as a “gross exaggeration”, Poole began arguing with the AI tool.

Alex Hearn, a director of Labour Against Antisemitism, said: “It is telling that yet another BBC employee feels entitled to publicly express anti-Jewish racism. Tom’s fantasies about “the Jewish lobby” and Holocaust taunts reveal how normalised a culture of hate has become at the BBC.

“His defence for the BBC erasing Jews from the Holocaust being an editorial ‘style’ choice is revealing. Objections are not ‘hysteria’ or bullying as he depicted them. There is not only a right but an obligation to call this out.

“It is time for those in positions of power and influence to stand up to hate instead of promoting it.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The BBC is astonishingly incapable of going for any period of time without a controversy relating to antisemitism. This rhetoric is simply outrageous, but worse still is that practically nobody will be surprised that someone at the BBC is spouting such vitriol.

“Clearly Tom Poole needs to be sacked. But this whack-a-mole routine with BBC personnel will not alone address the fundamental cultural problems at our national broadcaster. We continue to call for an independent investigation into BBC bias on coverage relating to Israel and matters of Jewish concern. Until such time, the licence fee should be suspended.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “We cannot comment on individual staffing matters, but everyone working for the BBC is required to follow our values and code of conduct and complete anti-discrimination training on antisemitism. We take it extremely seriously if someone does not meet those standards and take appropriate action where necessary.”