London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 21, 2026

Church of England launches investigation after clergyman calls fans of WWII hero Captain Tom a ‘CULT OF WHITE BRITISH NATIONALISM’

Church of England launches investigation after clergyman calls fans of WWII hero Captain Tom a ‘CULT OF WHITE BRITISH NATIONALISM’

The Church of England is investigating one of its clergymen after he posted a Twitter message smearing fans of WWII veteran Captain Tom Moore, who died this week of Covid-19, as being part of a “cult of white British nationalism.”

The Rev. Jarel Robinson-Brown tweeted on Wednesday that he wouldn’t be taking part in a national clap to honor Moore, who died at the age of 100 after raising nearly 33 million pounds for the National Health Service in a funds-raising walk. “The cult of Captain Tom is a cult of white British nationalism,” Robinson-Brown said. “I will offer prayers for the repose of his kind and generous soul, but I will not be joining the national clap.”

The tweet was later removed amid a public backlash, demonstrating that there’s apparently still some limits on the acceptable bounds of bigoted wokeness. Robinson-Brown apparently deleted his Twitter account, which he had called “black prophetic fire.” Robinson-Brown issued an “unreserved apology for the insensitive timing and content of my tweet regarding the clap for Captain Tom.”

The Diocese of London said a review of the clergyman’s actions is underway, as the church expects its representatives to ensure their online activities are in line with its guidelines and “built on truth, kindness and sensitivity to others.” Removing the tweet and apologizing “does not undo the hurt he has caused, not least to Captain Tom’s family,” the diocese said on Thursday, but it added, “Nor do Jarel’s actions justify the racist abuse he is now receiving.”

However, people angered by Robinson-Brown’s message said it was he whose words were racist. “This man is a bigot and should not be a representative of the church or anything else, for that matter,” conservative commentator Patricia Page said. She urged people to sign an online petition that has been started calling for the church to fire Robinson-Brown.


The petition had more than 12,000 signatures, rising toward its extended goal of 15,000, as of around 9:30pm London time on Thursday.


Radio host Ian Collins called Robinson-Brown “a race-baiting fool” and said the simple act of displaying “British decency” triggered the clergyman’s hatred.


Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for Wednesday evening’s clap for Moore as a way to honor both the WWII veteran and the NHS workers for whom he raised money. Moore was so popular that at least 10 petitions were started calling for a state funeral. Others have called for erecting a statue in his honor or for burying him at Westminster Abbey.

Robinson-Brown, 29, listed such interests as “liberation theology” and “queer theology” in his since-deleted Twitter bio. The self-described “activist” said he was “passionate about issues of justice, particularly in the areas of race and sexuality.”

The clergyman reportedly has a history of controversial comments, including calling Britain’s honours system a tribute to “white supremacy” and making a reference to “ignorant white Christian men.” Robinson-Brown also once wished “a blessed Sunday to everyone except Boris (Johnson), Priti (Patel, home secretary) and all other oppressors.”

He said last month that the current UK government wants poor and homeless people to die from the pandemic. In November, when Jamaica was struck by tropical storms, Robinson-Brown said Jamaicans should “build a device to direct all the floodwater to Britain tbh because these landslides and severe flooding are the legacy of colonialism and poor infrastructure.” Even amid the backlash over his “Cult of Captain Tom” tweet, he “liked” a post saying that “if it’s going to come as a shock every time a priest says people shouldn’t worship false idols, we’re going to run out of pearls to clutch at pretty soon.”

Nevertheless, despite his penchant for controversy, Bishop of London Sarah Mullally last month appointed Robinson-Brown to serve in a prestigious post at the parish of All Hallows-by-the-Tower, an ancient church in the City of London, the Sun newspaper reported.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Twenty-Nine US States Take Meta to Trial Over Alleged Child Addiction on Instagram and Facebook
Former Scottish National Party Executive Peter Murrell Jailed for Five Years Over £400,000 Embezzlement
Moderna and Merck's Personalized Cancer Vaccine Succeeds in Historic Late-Stage Melanoma Trial
Prince Harry and Meghan to Move Back to Britain With Their Children
England and Wales Have Fewer Than 1,800 Prison Places Left for Men
Royal Navy to Accelerate DragonFire Laser Deployment Against Growing Drone Threat
Northern Ireland Approves Five Hundred Million Pound Belfast Harbour Expansion
Great British Railways Takes Full Control of Avanti West Coast as Rail Nationalisation Reaches Final Stage
UK AI Safety Institute Calls for Mandatory Security Audits of Advanced AI Models
Scotland Secures Three Billion Pounds for Floating Offshore Wind Hub in Aberdeen
Government Overrides Local Councils to Approve Green Belt Housing Across Southern England
UK and EU Move Toward Mutual Recognition of Food Standards to Ease Cross-Channel Trade
Government Plans Multibillion-Pound Private Healthcare Expansion to Cut NHS Surgical Backlogs
Bank of England Signals Faster Rate Cuts as Inflation Falls Below the Two Percent Target
Suspected People Smuggler Arrested After Investigation Identified Him
Children's Doctors Warn That Vaping Can Lead Young People to Smoking
Hundreds of Thousands of Students Receive GCSE and Vocational Results Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Here Is What Can Never Happen in Your Country: Taiwan Is Giving Money to All Its People Because It Collected Too Much Tax
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9% as Energy Bills Jump
UK Issues New Conduct Guide for Asylum Seekers on Consent and Respect
Moderna Shares Surge After Positive Personalized Skin Cancer Trial Results
UK Markets Watch US National Debt Surpass Forty Trillion Dollars
UK Broadcasters Urge Government to Invest in Digital Participation and Broadband
CVC Capital Partners and Standard Life Launch Two Billion Pound Pension Risk Transfer Venture
UK Private Sector Productivity Growth Accelerates in Second Quarter
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Condemns Israeli E1 Settlement Tender
UK Watchdog Investigates Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School Over Hidden Fees
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Plan Move to Private Home Outside London
UK Retail Sentiment Improves as Summer Spending Boosts Consumer Confidence
UK Aid Cuts Draw Warnings From Charities Over Humanitarian Consequences
UK Financial Conduct Authority Issues Guidance for Motor Finance Redress Scheme
UK Met Office Launches Aviation Programme to Reduce Climate Impact of Persistent Contrails
Former UK Civil Service Chief Received Record 500,000 Pound Severance Payment
West Midlands to Bring Bus Network Under Public Franchising Model
UK Government Drops Plan to Relax Affordable Housing Requirements After Backlash
UK Reaffirms Military Support for Ukraine Despite Russian Hybrid Warfare Threats
UK Technology Sector Expands Nearly 8 Percent as Digital Industry Outpaces Wider Economy
UK Drought Threatens Harvests Across England and Wales as Food Inflation Risks Persist
UK Government Pledges 442 Million Pounds to End Rough Sleeping by Christmas
UK Government Signals Willingness to Reconsider Digital Services Tax Amid US Tariff Threats
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9 Percent as Energy Costs Threaten Economic Recovery
NHS Hospitals Cancel Surgeries as Extreme Heat Pushes Ward Temperatures Above 40 Degrees Celsius
UK Heatwave Forces Emergency Measures as Wildfire Risk, Hospital Disruption and Drought Intensify
A Sleepless Night on Wall Street: Nasdaq to Begin Nearly Round-the-Clock Trading
"The First in the World": 69-Year-Old Protested Artificial Intelligence—and Went to Jail
Ukraine's Ousted Defence Minister Calls for Wartime Presidential Election
UK Marks Ten Years of Night Tube as London Weekend Usage Exceeds Eighty-One Thousand Journeys a Night
Met Office Issues Thunderstorm Warnings Across Northern Ireland Over Flash-Flood Risk
Frasers Group Raises Stake in Hugo Boss to Nearly Forty-Eight Percent
Scottish Clyde Marine Pilots Prepare for Strike That Could Disrupt Glasgow and Greenock Shipping
×