The Independent59%
‘Serious failings’ at MI5 as home secretary demands answers 46%
By Flora Thompson0%
7/16/2026, 12:57:41 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 17 faulty reasoning types, including Framing Effect, Appeal to Emotion, and Appeal to Authority, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 64.2% saturation with 88 hits. Analysis detected 555 faulty-reasoning hits from 137 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 47.8% and a BS Rank of 46% (9,050 of 16,550 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 54.70% of the article peer group.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood has vowed to take "urgent action" to hold MI5 accountable after a report revealed "serious failings" by its officers.
The report by Investigatory Powers Commissioner Sir Brian Leveson identified "systemic failures" in MI5's conduct, leading to false evidence being presented to courts.
These failings relate to the 'Agent X' case, where MI5 previously apologised and paid compensation to a woman known as Beth, who alleged she was attacked by an abusive ex-partner, Agent X, a suspected neo-Nazi.
Ms Mahmood stated the findings were "stark" and criticised MI5 as an organisation, promising to strengthen her oversight of their work.
MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum acknowledged the "seriousness of our failings" and apologised, stating the service is implementing a major change programme to prevent recurrence.
Confirmation Bias
16.8%Confirmation Bias
OverallThis article
16.8%AuthorFlora Thompson
4.2%PublicationThe Independent
2.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anchoring Bias
0%Anchoring Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Availability Heuristic
16.8%Availability Heuristic
OverallThis article
16.8%AuthorFlora Thompson
4.2%PublicationThe Independent
3.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Representativeness Heuristic
25.5%Representativeness Heuristic
OverallThis article
25.5%AuthorFlora Thompson
12.8%PublicationThe Independent
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hindsight Bias
0%Hindsight Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Overconfidence Bias
0%Overconfidence Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
2.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Framing Effect
38.7%Framing Effect
OverallThis article
38.7%AuthorFlora Thompson
9.7%PublicationThe Independent
8.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Loss Aversion
0%Loss Aversion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Status Quo Bias
0%Status Quo Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Sunk Cost Effect
0%Sunk Cost Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Optimism Bias
19%Optimism Bias
OverallThis article
19%AuthorFlora Thompson
9.5%PublicationThe Independent
2.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Pessimism Bias
0%Pessimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
1.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Negativity Bias
64.2%Negativity Bias
OverallThis article
64.2%AuthorFlora Thompson
26.1%PublicationThe Independent
12%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Self-Serving Bias
19%Self-Serving Bias
OverallThis article
19%AuthorFlora Thompson
4.7%PublicationThe Independent
2.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Fundamental Attribution Error
0%Fundamental Attribution Error
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Actor-Observer Bias
0%Actor-Observer Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
In-Group Bias
0%In-Group Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
1.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
0%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Halo Effect
0%Halo Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
2.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Horn Effect
0%Horn Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Dunning-Kruger Effect
0%Dunning-Kruger Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Recency Bias
0%Recency Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Primacy Effect
0%Primacy Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Blind-Spot Bias
0%Blind-Spot Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ad Hominem
0%Ad Hominem
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
2.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Straw Man
0%Straw Man
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Authority
32.1%Appeal to Authority
OverallThis article
32.1%AuthorFlora Thompson
12.2%PublicationThe Independent
3.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
False Dilemma
0%False Dilemma
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
1.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Slippery Slope
0%Slippery Slope
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Circular Reasoning
0%Circular Reasoning
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hasty Generalization
25.5%Hasty Generalization
OverallThis article
25.5%AuthorFlora Thompson
12.8%PublicationThe Independent
4.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Red Herring
0%Red Herring
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Bandwagon
0%Bandwagon
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Emotion
35.8%Appeal to Emotion
OverallThis article
35.8%AuthorFlora Thompson
8.9%PublicationThe Independent
6.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Begging the Question
15.3%Begging the Question
OverallThis article
15.3%AuthorFlora Thompson
3.8%PublicationThe Independent
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Post Hoc (False Cause)
0%Post Hoc (False Cause)
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
2.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Tu Quoque
0%Tu Quoque
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Burden of Proof
0%Burden of Proof
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Nature
0%Appeal to Nature
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Composition/Division
0%Composition/Division
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anecdotal
25.5%Anecdotal
OverallThis article
25.5%AuthorFlora Thompson
6.4%PublicationThe Independent
2.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
No True Scotsman
0%No True Scotsman
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ambiguity (Equivocation)
23.4%Ambiguity (Equivocation)
OverallThis article
23.4%AuthorFlora Thompson
5.8%PublicationThe Independent
1.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Gambler’s Fallacy
0%Gambler’s Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Middle Ground
0%Middle Ground
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Personal Incredulity
0%Personal Incredulity
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Special Pleading
19%Special Pleading
OverallThis article
19%AuthorFlora Thompson
4.7%PublicationThe Independent
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Genetic Fallacy
0%Genetic Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Unattributed Quote
0%Unattributed Quote
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
1.6%PublicationThe Independent
2.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Quote-first Misdirection
6.6%Quote-first Misdirection
OverallThis article
6.6%AuthorFlora Thompson
3.3%PublicationThe Independent
2.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Biased Writer Voice
6.6%Biased Writer Voice
OverallThis article
6.6%AuthorFlora Thompson
1.6%PublicationThe Independent
7.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Indoctrination
15.3%Indoctrination
OverallThis article
15.3%AuthorFlora Thompson
3.8%PublicationThe Independent
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Left Leaning Bias
0%Politically Left Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Right Leaning Bias
0%Politically Right Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
0%Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
OverallThis article
0%AuthorFlora Thompson
0%PublicationThe Independent
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
137 words analyzed.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.