London is a port city, and Britain became great because of its navy and ability to trade across the globe. The capital’s wealth is built upon that sea trade. There are reminders of London's maritime history everywhere. In Trafalgar Square, we commemorate the 1805 victory (and the death) of Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. At Tower Hill, we remember the 36,000 merchant mariners lost at sea with no known grave. And the Museum of London Docklands examines the triangular trade in goods, sugar and slaves, upon which so much of the city’s wealth was built.

The BBC is one of the most trusted of British institutions. ‘I heard it on the BBC,’ is a common claim as to the verity of a statement around the world. The implication is that it must be right because the BBC said it. People trust the organisation in the way they often do not trust statements made by their own governments, where the media outlets are all too often controlled by the very governments who want their statements taken on trust.