The Cancellation and Political Capture

This is the shocking story of how the British Department for Education has been captured by Israeli forces. Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, has attempted to cancel me, my band, and even our shows. We have never been found guilty of any crime. We have not been charged for anything. We are a punk band carrying on years of British tradition by playing punk music. Yet the Department of Education is going to war against us. Bridget Phillipson is not only going to war with punk bands and British art, but British citizens as a whole, supporting changes in law that take away our right to protest—British freedoms that we hold dear.

Why is a country of 10 million people currently engaged in a genocide and a war that could destabilize the entire world dictating British freedoms, democracy, and policy? It is probably time to ask ourselves who our politicians actually work for. Has Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, been compromised by pro-Israeli money?

Stewart Roden and Venture Capital Influence

Stewart Roden is chairman and partner of Hetz Ventures, an Israeli venture capitalist firm that specializes in AI and cyber security. Hetz Ventures was co-founded by Judah Taub, an IDF officer who served in an elite classified unit. Roden has donated over £1 million to the Labour Party and funded Ignite, a Zionist educational initiative that frames Israel in a positive light for children.

Trevor Chinn's Extensive Political Network

Another major donor to Bridget Phillipson is a man by the name of Trevor Chinn, one of the most prolific individual donors to the British pro-Israeli lobby. Chinn has been a major donor to both Labour Friends of Israel and Conservative Friends of Israel, as well as funding the notorious think tank Labour Together, a think tank known for targeting Jeremy Corbyn and independent media that were supportive of him. Labour Together even went so far as to investigate journalists who reported on the organization illegally failing to disclose donations of £730,000. Chinn also donated £50,000 to Keir Starmer's leadership campaign, which was only declared once he had won.

Other cabinet members funded by Chinn include Wes Streeting, Rachel Reeves, Lisa Nandy, and David Lammy. In 2024, Trevor Chinn was awarded the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour.

The European Leadership Network and Educational Tours

The lesser-known donor to Bridget Phillipson is the European Leadership Network, also known as ELNET. ELNET funds propaganda tours to Israel for MPs, peers, and parliamentary staff, offering them the opportunity to see the Iron Dome, receive briefings by the IDF, and meet with Israeli officials. ELNET US is headed up by a man named David Segal, who said there was no starvation in Gaza and boasted about ELNET being distinct from AIPAC in that it works with an entire continent—meaning Europe.

Particularly worrying is a £3,000 donation to fund a trip in 2023 for Phillipson's adviser, Thomas Crick. Crick is now the senior adviser on assessment and curriculum review at the Department of Education. This raises the question: has the Department of Education been co-opted by pro-Israel money? It certainly brings into question Phillipson's actions when she ordered an inquiry into Bristol Brunel Academy after members of the National Education Union raised concerns about a pro-Israel MP, Damian Eagan, visiting their secondary school. Phillipson stated that she would not rule out further action.

The Manchester Academy Show Cancellation

It is no surprise that when our show was due to be played at a venue peripherally connected to a university, the Secretary of State for Education was deployed to make sure that did not happen and to serve the interests of her donors. Bob Dylan, the band that I am one half of, was due to play Manchester Academy on November 5th, 2025. Manchester Academy is a venue run by the Students Union and operates independently from the University. Communication the band received from Manchester Academy on October 23rd stated that this morning the University had to brief the special adviser Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, confirming that the show would not be taking place in November.

When a Freedom of Information request was submitted to the Department of Education, it was, of course, denied. In their denial, they stated that some of the detail that informed internal discussions was provided to officials in confidence. As of today, we are still unaware of the communication around our show being cancelled. But this is not about our show. This is about what little integrity is left of our government. If even our education sector, which is in charge of shaping the future minds of this nation, cannot be free from Israeli influence, then what hope do we have at combating the growing Zionist influence here at home?

Punk Music and British Freedoms

Punk music is a distinctly British music genre, born out of rebellion and a subculture of nonconformity. Why is it being cancelled for the interests of a foreign state? You would expect so-called patriotic free speech warriors would have something to say, but they find themselves too busy trying to drag British soldiers into a war with Iran on behalf of Israel. I am normally incredibly nervous about intervening in foreign wars, but I believe this is the right one, and I find the actions—or the inactions, perhaps I should say—of our Prime Minister frankly pathetic.

If you, as a British citizen, leave this country to go and fight for Israel and take part in the ongoing genocide and slaughter of Palestinian people and return to this country, you may be held up as a hero. You will face no criminal charges. You will face no cancellation. But God forbid you step on stage and use your voice to challenge that genocide.

The IDF, Genocide, and Civil Rights

Contrary to belief, the IDF is not a protected group of people. They are a genocidal army, taking part in some of the most horrendous crimes against humanity that we have ever seen. You do not have to agree with the views and opinions of Bob Dylan. You do not have to agree with the statements that we made at Glastonbury. But why are we policing artists and creatives on behalf of a foreign state in order to defend a genocide and the expansion of Israel and the Greater Israel Project? Our civil rights are being infringed upon, and artists and creators are being offered as extremely visible targets for the consequences that you will face as a British citizen for speaking up against this.

This is the new McCarthyism, with British freedoms under attack and perpetual war. It is now more important than ever to support independent media that will bring you a true and clear picture. Double Down News is one of those platforms. Stories like mine will not be told on mainstream media, so if you can, please support Double Down News on Patreon.