Brian Reed and Hamza Syed set out to find the author of a letter that sparked fears of an Islamist takeover plot in Birmingham schools. But despite racing to the top of the podcast charts they have had to fend off criticism
Before meeting the investigative journalists behind the New York Times podcast The Trojan Horse Affair, I had dinner with some friends. “Trojan Horse?” asked one. “Wasn’t that the thing about the Islamist plot in schools?” He was partly right.
In late 2013 (the same year as the horrific murder of Lee Rigby, when Islamic State was on the march), a mysterious letter was sent to Birmingham city council alleging a plot to infiltrate ordinary state schools and run them along Islamist lines. The government responded swiftly. Led by Michael Gove, the education secretary at the time, it launched an investigation, which was followed by an avalanche of allegations, resignations and disciplinary procedures, including lifetime professional bans for some teachers.
