James May and James O’Brien mock ‘Britain’s strictest headteacher’ over complaint about M&S Christmas advert

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Former Top Gear host James May is among those mocking “Britain’s strictest headteacher” over her outburst against the M&S Christmas advert. “When our nation is on its knees, trying to keep our spirits high for what we can all achieve together, this is not the time for you to encourage people to ignore the inspirational spirit of Christmas of self-sacrifice, gratitude, giving of one’s time and finances to help one’s fellow man, of children’s laughter, of magical tales of Father Christmas, of kindness and of beauty, and instead tell us to ‘do whatever we want for ourselves’.” open image in gallery Katharine Birbalsingh, described as “Britain’s strictest headteacher” Birbalsingh continued: “I run an inner-city school in London, where we try hard to instil values of decency daily in our children. When Marks and Spencer puts two fingers up to these values, it makes our lives as teachers much more difficult and it stifles social mobility and happiness for our children, in particular for the disadvantaged.” Quoting the character Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, Ms Birbalsingh insisted that “selfishness is not what Christmas is about” and told M&S that it should be “showing us the way, with heartening adverts celebrating the values which Scrooge comes to embody”. “Please do not undermine us in this endeavour.” open image in gallery Singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor appears in Marks & Spencer’s Christmas ad campaign Birbalsingh’s letter has been widely mocked for its grave tone, with many readers questioning why she felt so upset by a Christmas advert from a retailer.