Britain’s ‘strictest headmistress’ has written a letter of complaint about Marks and Spencer’s Christmas ad and it’s quite the read

John Plunkett. Updated November 4th, 2023

You’ll know the furore generated among a certain sort of person who was furious that Marks and Spencer’s Christmas advert was just far too woke.

Here’s the ad, in the unlikely event you haven’t seen it yet.

And these 18 people were among the very frothiest of the people angry about it.

Anyway, we mention it – yet again! – because this head teacher was moved to write a letter of complaint to M&S – and also share it on Twitter.

Not just any head teacher but ‘Britain’s Strictest Head Mistress’ – Google, Google – Katharine Birbalsingh who appeared in an ITV documentary of the same name a little while back.

I am sending this complaint letter to M&S @marksandspencer

We should all be complaining.

This is a fight for everything we should believe in.

Do not sit this one out.

Write a letter of complaint about that advert!! pic.twitter.com/3aw58Uw2FZ

— Katharine Birbalsingh (@Miss_Snuffy) November 3, 2023

Here it is again, just in case that was tricky to read. And it really is quite the read.

We’ve read all of the responses so you don’t have to – well, quite a few of them – and these say it all. Well, most of it.

This is probably the weirdest thing I’ve seen this week and there is stiff competition.

Congratulations?

— Robbie Scowls (@RScowler) November 3, 2023

“You have a duty as our national department store to keep the spirit of Christmas alive for the sake of our children” is an absolutely incredible sentence https://t.co/map8ADczcM

— RopesToInfinity (@RopesToInfinity) November 3, 2023

Isn’t it about women being responsible for organising Christmas and telling women they don’t need to be responsible for it all again this year?

— Dr. Jen Izaakson (@DrJenIzaakson) November 3, 2023

Is this a joke? Is this an actual joke? The world we are living in is on fire; climate change, war, poverty… and we need to spend time complaining about a light hearted advert? Free press for M&S but fucking hell. Oh to have so few problems, you care about this. https://t.co/1F0xb9Pl19

— Vix Leyton (@VixLeyton) November 3, 2023

I’ve read your letter & decided to do all of my Christmas shopping @marksandspencer

— c_rlb_yd (@carlboydtweets) November 3, 2023

Perhaps not the biggest take-away from this letter, but Ms Birbalsingh should consider adding her surname to the dictionary of her copy of Microsoft Word to stop it being underlined in red. https://t.co/F5OQr2fSGf

— Adam Kay (@amateuradam) November 3, 2023

“I run an inner city school in London”.

You kept that quiet!

— Ross McCafferty (@RossMcCaff) November 3, 2023

Incredible how these free speech warriors want to police what content others put out that they don’t agree with isn’t it….

Genuinely unhinged stuff this https://t.co/Ys4Xn14Qdl

— Liam Thorp (@LiamThorpECHO) November 3, 2023

Parking the obvious point that’s it’s an advert for a retailer not the Sermon on the Mount, its background is a song about love & its message that the joy of family can be lost in the stress of the pressure to comply with superficial traditions. Dickens would have loved it.

— article six (@SixVpf) November 3, 2023

10.

Begging everyone to go outside & touch grass for even like 5 minutes https://t.co/PJbTbsnIwi

— Ruairí (@RuairiLuke) November 3, 2023

11.

Please please please tell me this is satire?

— Half Woman Half Mince Pie (@strandedatsea) November 3, 2023

12.

favourite lines: “you have a duty as our national department store to keep the spirit of christmas alive for the sake of our children”, “ebeneezer scrooge says…”, “how can you do this to our country at a time such as this?”, “we want our children to LIVE” https://t.co/bgKVV95g1B

— a rare photo of sean connery signed by roger moore (@steamedhamms) November 3, 2023

Just in the interests of balance and all that, there was also this.

Well said, Katharine.

— Darren Grimes (@darrengrimes_) November 3, 2023

To conclude …

Please someone make the madness stop… https://t.co/4Y6gHp9Dn8

— Tom Jamieson (@jamiesont) November 3, 2023

M&S, it’s over to you!

Source @Miss_Snuffy