Overview
- New reports allege the Home Office covertly funded and organised a Mr Meanor schools tour to promote anti-radicalisation messages in northern England in 2016.
- PoliticsHome is cited as naming BreakThrough Media and the Home Office’s Research, Information and Communications Unit as key players behind the campaign.
- Financial accounts reportedly show a £400,000 Prevent payment to The Tim Parry and Jonathan Ball Foundation for Peace labeled “Panther” shortly before the tour.
- Social media from the period documents visits to schools in cities including Sheffield, Manchester, Bradford, Burnley and Huddersfield, tied to the single Think About It with explicit anti-violence lyrics.
- The Home Office says the campaign was delivered under a previous government and is now discontinued, and reports note no indication the band knew of any secret funding.