UK Column 2
A Response
As regular readers will be aware, I recently sent a letter of complaint to UK Column over comments made by their presenters Jeremy Nell and Jake Fern in programmes aired on 15th and 16th July. Former Coldstream guard and police detective Charles Malet has responded in his capacity as UK column director and 20% shareholder in UK Column's operating company. I include below the full correspondence with Charles Malet in which my position and that of UK Column are made clear.
18th July 2026
Dear directors and shareholders of UK Column,
This is an open letter which I have posted on substack here: https://francisoneill.substack.com/p/uk-column
I am writing to you in relation to your broadcasts The Truth Movement is a Cult of Wednesday, 15th July 2026 and But Is AI Art, Art? of Thursday, 16th July 2026, which featured your employees Jeremy Nell and Jake Fern. This is an open letter which I have posted on substack here: https://francisoneill.substack.com/p/uk-column
In this programming, the presenters discussed my recent essays in which I question the nature of cartoonist Bob Moran’s relationship with Ed Chanter, a man known online as ‘Ed the Techie.’
Jeremy Nell openly states, “I know nothing about Ed the Techie I don’t even know who that is.”
Jake Fern also admits that, “he’d not met Ed...and knew of him only after he died.”
Nell and Fern then disparage any questions about the man they know nothing about.
As part of their discourse Jake Fern goes on to repeatedly describe me as, “paranoid,” and, “mentally ill,” before saying that I am exhibiting, “strong evidence of mental illness,” with which Jeremy Nell agrees.
Could you please let me know of Jake Fern and Jeremy Nell’s medical qualifications in making such a diagnosis? If they are in possession of the relevant qualifications is it normal practice for such a diagnosis to be made without a clinical examination of the subject? My understanding is that UK Column purports to be a media outlet and not a medical one. Is it usual practice for your employees to perform individual medical diagnoses on your public broadcasts without concern for the confidentiality of your patients, and for any subsequent possible negative consequences?
I know you will have observed the many journalistic flaws in the broadcasts mentioned, which seem in opposition to the ideals of truth and freedom of inquiry that any independent media outlet might wish to uphold. Not least of these were the foul language used whereby I was characterised as, “being a dick,” and my work as, “throwing shit.” In many ways these programmes and their presenters fall beneath the journalistic and ethical standards UK Column has set for itself. I am sure you would not want people supposing that your employees are being tasked with defending people who have financial backers in common with your own.
Kind regards,
Francis O’Neill
21st July, 2026, 17:22
Dear Francis,
Thank you very much for getting in touch.
‘As part of their discourse Jake Fern goes on to repeatedly describe me as, “paranoid,” and, “mentally ill,” before saying that I am exhibiting, “strong evidence of mental illness,” with which Jeremy Nell agrees.’
May I ask that you provide exact timestamps (making sure to specify which video), in order that I can be sure I am reviewing what you believe has been said, please?
All the best
Charles Malet
21st July 2026, 19:43
Dear Charles Malet,
Thank you for your response. Please find the timestamps you requested below. Some of these were included in my open letter on substack, and should not be difficult for you to find using the transcripts of UK Columns videos that are available online. There were many more disparaging remarks in the programmes but I have limited this selection to the discussion of paranoia and mental illness and the bad language, made in reference to me, which I mentioned in my original letter.
I hope this helps you. Please let me know if there is anything else you require.
Best wishes,
Francis O’Neill
‘The Truth Movement is a Cult’ of Wednesday, 15th July 2026
14:25 Jake Fern discusses paranoia
18:38 Jake Fern discusses paranoia
15:24 Relating to these references to paranoia, JF says “I’ve got a certain situation in mind,” and introduces my name.
20:17 Jake Fern: “feed the paranoia”
24:53 Jeremy Nell: “I know nothing about Ed the Techie I don’t even know who that is.”
25:02: Jake Fern:“not met Ed...and knew of him only after he died.”
32:33 Jake Fern: “being a dick”
33:47: Jake Fern: “throwing shit.”
38:20 Jake Fern: “paranoid nonsense by Francis”
‘But Is AI Art, Art?’ of Thursday, 16th July
23:54 Jake Fern: “mentally ill,”
24:10 Jake Fern: “objectively paranoid mindset”
24:58 Jake Fern: “I have to say that is mental illness,”
25:11 Jeremy Nell: “I think I might agree.”
27:44: Referring to a background point I made in my essay Jake Fern asks:“Is that healthy? Is that mental?”
35:03: Discussing a new topic, Jeremy Nell says referring back to the discussion of me, “that’s also a mental illness.”
23 Jul 2026, 08:58
Dear Francis,
Thank you very much for providing the detailed timestamps.
Your open letter is a misrepresentation of the recordings. At no point are you described as paranoid or mentally ill or, indeed, in any of the other disparaging terms you have itemised. It is made extremely clear by both speakers that the conversations are general and not specific. Certainly, there are parts of the conversations which are driven by material you have written, and that material is subjected to some critique.
With regard to the mention of your name, I would caution you that people in glass houses should give some thought to the throwing of stones.
If not to self-promote, what possible reason would you have for publishing your letter to Substack in the first instance, rather than coming directly to the UK Column editorial team with your (unfounded) concerns?
All the best
Charles
23rd July 2026, 19:28
Dear Charles Malet,
Thank you for your reply.
In ‘The Truth Movement is a Cult’ of Wednesday, 15th July 2026 Fern refers to this, “paranoid nonsense by Francis”
In the ‘But Is AI Art, Art?’ of Thursday, 16th Jul, Fern refers to “an objectively paranoid mindset,” and uses as an example claims he attributes to me and finishes, “I have to say that is mental illness.” Jeremy Nell agrees with this unqualified diagnosis.
Should you be in any doubt as to what is being communicated Jake Fern makes it explicit in the comments to when he responds to the suggestion that it was,
“Unfair to call Francis paranoid though.”
Fern writes, “Francis fits the definition of paranoia. Most objective observers I think would agree on that. Here’s a fun experiment that I haven’t done but try it... Choose an artificial intelligence model and put all five of Francis’s articles about Bob in. Ask it if the author could be clinically diagnosed as paranoid. I bet it comes back affirmative. And remember that in those articles there is no mention of major ‘conspiracies’ that would flag it’s inherent bias. It will work based solely on how observations are framed and interpreted.”
Best wishes,
Francis O’Neill
31st July 2026, 12:02
Dear Charles Malet,
Could you please let me know in the next 24 hours if you are planning to respond to my email of 23rd July?
Best wishes,
Francis O’Neill
31st July 2026, 12:55
Dear Francis,
You got in touch with regard to content published by UK Column, in the first instance. On 23 Jul, you widened the goalposts by referring to “comments”, which are not published by UK Column.
I have nothing to add to my original response, except to say that you have clarified the point yourself: it is the “nonsense” which is being described as paranoid. You are not being described as paranoid in any material published by UK Column.
With regard to the discussion relating to “mental illness”, you cannot seriously be suggesting that you are the only person on earth to have said or done any of the things referred to, can you?
All the best
Charles
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For people who claim to deal in truth, they seem to have little grasp of it
I don't think he was expecting to receive such a detailed, accurate and absolutely truthful response from you Francis.
I think he severely underestimated your ability to backup all your questions with the specific information.
The lack of response, before you nudged him shows he had no answers and his word salad response was telling.
Brilliant work as always.