Lady Brittan on false accusations, playwright Anna Jordan on Mother Courage, author Claire Powell

Lady Brittan, widow of former Home Secretary Leon Britton, delivers a powerful call to action after being falsely accused in the 2019 Operation Midland scandal, where Carl Beech made baseless allegations of child sexual abuse and murder against high-profile figures. She reveals the profound personal toll—her husband died in 2015 never knowing he’d be exonerated—and criticizes the justice system for failing to recognize victims of false accusations, despite their reputations being destroyed. She demands that those falsely accused be treated as victims, with access to information about the release of perpetrators, and laments the government’s silence on her letter to the Justice Secretary. Her plea underscores a systemic gap in victim support that prioritizes the Crown over individuals whose lives are irrevocably damaged by unfounded claims. Meanwhile, playwright Anna Jordan discusses her bold new adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s *Mother Courage*, emphasizing its carnivalesque energy, emotional complexity, and the vital role of audience engagement at the Globe Theatre. She also shares a deeply personal connection to the play through her mother’s legacy and her own journey of grief and motherhood, culminating in a poetry collection released alongside the production.