Politics
Ending A Marriage: How A Therapist Helps Couples
“You made a sex tape?!”
Susannah turned to her husband, Ron, mouth agape. He looked down, his cheeks reddening.
“It was right after college. I was experimenting,” he mumbled, twisting in his seat. “No big deal.”
As a couples therapist, I am always looking for how to mend the frayed edges of a relationship, but Susannah and Ron were different: they had come to my office to end their marriage.
I practice what I call breakup therapy — a short-term treatment I developed for couples who want to end their relationships without bitterness.
The premise is counterintuitive: instead of looking forward toward separate futures, we look backward at the relationship itself. It’s structured to look at the beginning, middle and end of their time together with exercises that focus on both their gratitude as well as their resentment.
The work culminates with the couple crafting a shared narrative about their union and literally writing it down – a story of what worked and ultimately what did not. Then, I ask them to sign it. In this way, they resolve the many unanswered, and often unasked, questions that can trap couples in recriminations and keep them from moving on.
The idea was born from my own bitter divorce. After my split, I was plagued by questions that repeated on an endless loop in my brain: “What was I thinking?”; “Why didn’t I see that red flag?”; “What is wrong with me – I’m a therapist and I should have seen what was happening.”
Then, one day, my therapist asked me a different question: who was I when I decided to marry? Suddenly, my internal feedback loop stopped.
“You’re asking me who I was, not why I married him?” I said, skeptically.
“Yes, I am,” she answered. “Marriages can be as much about identity as they are about a union. What were you trying to solve — or avoid — by marrying him?”
The question unlocked something for me. I’d been full of anger at myself, but I hadn’t really taken responsibility for my own actions. With her help, I crafted a story that I could hold onto about what function the marriage had served for me. Truly owning my choices helped me have more compassion for myself and less anger. The most startling realisation? When I had created a story that hung together, the nagging questions ended for good.
I have seen this same process unfold for many couples. But often, in the course of these sessions, new things surface.
“Susannah?” I said, surprised to hear the hurt in her voice. “This feels like a big deal for you. Why is that?”
Ron and Susannah had not been the most willing subjects for breakup therapy. During our first session, Ron blurted out: “You’re like a medical examiner doing autopsies on dead relationships! Your scalpel hurts. I don’t think you know what it feels like to be humiliated.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” I answered softly. “I have a teenager.”
“This feels stupid,” he said on another occasion. “She’s done, I accept that. What is there to say? This feels like horseshit.”
“See what I’m working with here?” Susannah said, throwing up her hands and shifting away from Ron on the couch. “I knew he wouldn’t take this seriously.”
“No, he’s right,” I said. “If it’s really true that you fully accept and understand her decision, Ron, then this is horseshit. But is that true?”
His silence was all the answer I needed.
Over the next few sessions, we went over how they’d fallen in love (“It just made sense, we fit”); the birth of their three children (“The unit held us together”); the unraveling of their connection (“We were ships in the night for as long as I can remember, but then one day I woke up and just wanted more from life”).
We mapped the patterns their marriage had fallen into over the course of three houses, two cross-country moves and their children’s exodus from home. It was a saga spanning decades.
Then, in our fourth session, Ron mentioned the sex tape.
“Something about this is landing hard on you,” I said to Susannah, her mouth still ajar. “Why?”
“Yeah, why?” Ron echoed.
Susannah paused and looked out the window.
“It’s that you … you tried something that – I don’t know – was out there … bold and different.”
A tear welled in a corner of her eye.
“It’s not you. You’re not brave! Or, at least you haven’t been with me, not in all these years together.”
Then she began to cry. Ron and I looked at one another.
“Susannah?” Instantly, I regretted breaking the silence.
“All this time, I decided you just couldn’t try new things,” she managed after a while. “I gave up.”
Ron put up his palms. “What is happening?” he said, exasperated.
“But if you can do that …” she continued. “What was it? Did I just not ask? Did I build my life around a lie?” She looked lost. “Was it that you never really loved me enough?”
She turned back to Ron and banged her fist on the couch.
“I did ask! I asked you to look at porn together when we stopped having sex, to take classes with me, to go on that whale-watching tour. … You just ignored me!”
This time, I held my tongue.
“Is that a thing?” she went on, turning to me. “That you can reach the end of a relationship and not even have known what was possible?”
“I made that tape 30 years ago,” Ron blurted out. “She’s upset over something I did when I was a totally different person!”
This was the impasse that I had expected, that arrives in most of my breakup therapy work – the moment when two people realise that as well as they think they know each other, there are things they don’t know or have lost track of. It’s my job to help them hold that bitter realisation. Then it’s my job to help them arrive at forgiveness or some kind of reconciliation – if not with each other, then with what happened to them.
“It was 30 years ago, Ron,” I said. “But you aren’t a different person. You’re the same person, and she’s wondering why you couldn’t have been that with her.”
I turned to Susannah and said, “You have a right to be hurt, but were you truly honest with him? Did you give him the space and the safety and the encouragement to be that person? Do you think you both can forgive each other for what you weren’t?”
It was three weeks before they appeared again in my office, having canceled two sessions in between appointments.
“I was stirred and moved by what happened here last time,” Susannah began. “When we left, I thought: Maybe there’s enough left between us?”
Ron’s eyes were downcast.
“But I realised I can’t,” she said. “I just can’t open up that part of me with him anymore. I want … I need this divorce.”
I nodded. “Ron? How do you feel?”
“I can see where we are … I’m not fighting it.” His voice broke. “I’m just really sad.”
Often it requires some kind of shock to break through the built-up layers of anger, resentment and disappointment in a couple in order to illuminate the cracks in their relationship – something true that has been avoided or left unsaid. In this case, it was the surprise of an ancient transgressive act that lay bare how little they knew each other and how misaligned they’d become.
Susannah moved closer to Ron on the couch and laced her fingers with his.
“You guys seem calmer – closer. Tell me what you are feeling,” I said.
I knew something about that calm after the storm. After my own divorce, we had maintained an uneasy truce for years, until one long car ride after dropping our daughter at camp. As we rode in silence, I suddenly remembered my therapist’s question: Who was I when I decided to get married? For the next two hours, we talked over that question and everything else, and together realised how lonely we had been — two Israelis who, instead of understanding why we had both chosen to leave, had clung to each other and to a shared language. Before long, we were laughing as we had not laughed since the early days of our marriage.
“So, where do we go from here?” Ron asked me in their last session.
“Well, in my experience, when a marriage ends, a different relationship can sometimes be created,” I said. “That’s up to you guys. All endings are sad, but not all endings have to leave you broken. There’s an opportunity here to get to know each other in a different way. And …” I leaned forward to make eye contact with each of them “… to know yourselves better.”
After they left, I sat quietly in my chair for a while. I allowed myself to remember that moment in my therapist’s office when I realised that I had been using my marriage to escape a question I had been avoiding and what a relief it had been to finally face it.
When a sex tape from decades ago unlocks two people’s grief, it’s not so much about the end of the road as it is about the roads never taken – the versions of a marriage they never tried. It is a sad moment, but also a generative one.
They’d come to me to bury their marriage. What they found instead was a way to know each other – maybe for the first time in years – even as they said goodbye.
Note: Names and some details have been changed to protect the identities of the individuals appearing in this essay.
Sarah Gundle, Psy.D., is a psychologist in private practice and an assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center. She is currently writing a book about breakups. You can find her on Instagram @dear_dr_sarah.
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There’s a seemingly endless array of quippy terms to describe rising travel trends and preferences.
One particularly interesting term is “inheritourism”, which really gets to the heart of why different individuals travel the way that they do and how family plays a role.
Below, travel experts break down the meaning of “inheritourism”, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of this holiday phenomenon.
What is ‘inheritourism’?
“Inheritourism reflects how travel preferences are passed down across generations,” said Jess Petitt, senior vice president or strategy, insights and full service brands at Hilton.
“Many people inherit travel preferences from their parents, with family experiences often shaping how people travel well into adulthood.”
A 2026 travel report from Hilton identified “inheritourism” as a notable trend for the new year – with 66% of travellers surveyed by the hotel brand saying that their parents have influenced their choice of accommodations, 60% saying they guided their choice of loyalty programs and 73% saying they shaped their general travel style.
“I think inheritourism shows up most clearly in how people define what ‘comfortable’ travel looks like,” said travel blogger Esther Susag. “Many travellers inherit not just destinations, but entire travel styles from their parents. For example, I often notice that people who grew up only doing cruises or all-inclusive resorts tend to gravitate back to those formats as adults.”
Travellers accustomed to the ease of having everything in one place might be more hesitant to go off the beaten path with independent accommodations, hidden gem destinations or locations that require more planning or cultural navigation.
“That same pattern extends into how people pay for travel,” Susag said. “I’ve noticed that travellers whose parents used travel credit cards and understood points and miles tend to feel much more comfortable navigating loyalty programs and booking elevated experiences. On the other hand, people who grew up saving for years for one big trip and paying mostly in cash or with a single credit card often carry that same cautious mindset forward and are hesitant to open multiple cards or experiment with points strategies.”
She added that many parents remain deeply involved in their adult children’s travel decisions, often financing trips with their own loyalty points or preferred brands. Multigenerational travel is increasingly popular, thus exposing new generations to the same kinds of choices.
“Over time, that becomes their baseline for what travel ‘should’ look like,” Susag said. “As travel has become more expensive and more intentional, people are less willing to experiment and more likely to stick with what they know works. That often means repeating the travel patterns they grew up with, whether that’s specific destinations, hotel brands or trip formats.”
Flashpop via Getty Images
It’s only natural that people who grew up travelling in a certain way as children would adopt similar preferences. Katy Nastro, a spokesperson and travel expert for the flight alert service Going, pointed to the cliché “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”.
“I personally grew up going to warm beach destinations to escape the New York winter every February,” Nastro said. “I wholeheartedly believe that the desire for a warmer weather destination during the month of February versus a cold weather trip is not just a preference but is now a personality trait inherited from my family travels as a child.”
She believes the same pattern is evident in the families attracted to “the magic of Disney” with Disney theme parks vacations over multiple generations. Our early memories can inform what we find meaningful and rewarding as we grow up.
“My family chooses the mountains over the beach always, because it’s where I grew up vacationing – and if you ask me, it’s just better,” Petitt said. “Those experiences are also what I’m excited to share with my kids, building on those memories. If we never visit a beach as a family, that would be OK by me.”
Family travel habits strongly influence people’s choices – but is that a good thing?
“Any travel is beneficial in my opinion,” Nastro said. “And in theory, inheritourism can create generational travel because people are inclined to continue the tradition of travel to a certain place, hotel, etc. The only downside may be that this perpetuates a blinder affect where people don’t tend to branch away from what they know, and thus never really explore beyond their comfort zone.”
She added that inheritourism might lead people to miss out on good deals if they can’t look beyond the specific brands or locations they’ve “inherited”.
“Travellers may avoid less popular destinations or more immersive experiences because they feel less predictable or convenient,” Susag said. “That said, awareness is growing, and many people are starting to challenge those habits once they realise there are other ways to travel that still feel safe and rewarding.”
Overall, she sees a mix of downsides and benefits to the influence of inheritourism today.
“On the positive side, inheritourism makes travel more accessible and lowers the barrier to entry for a lot of people,” Susag said. “It also encourages multigenerational travel and shared experiences, which can be incredibly meaningful.”
Inheritourism can serve as “a foundation, rather than a fixed path,” she emphasised. Travellers can carry forward meaningful traditions but also cultivate their own.
“People tend to start by recreating the trips and habits they grew up with, then adapt them as their confidence grows and their priorities shift,” Susag said. “Whether that means exploring less traditional destinations, traveling more independently or becoming more intentional about how they spend on travel, many travellers eventually build on what they inherited rather than abandoning it altogether.”
As in other areas of life, parents tend to set the norms and serve as trusted sources for young adults as they make decisions.
“In a world of digital overwhelm and an abundance of choice, travellers are looking to their inner circle to inform their travel decisions,” Petitt said.
“When seeking an experience beyond what is familiar, inherited preferences and trusted travel habits serve as a starting point for discovering something new. The key is balance – while inheritourism offers comfort and confidence, the greatest benefit comes when those familiar influences open the door to exploration, rather than limit it.”
Despite pressing public concern, Keir Starmer is saying the ‘materials’ linked to the thrice-disgraced Peter Mandelson will not come quickly. And as you might expect, people are not happy:
He will try to buy time and get this kicked into the long grass with investigations and enquiries reporting years hence. And even then likely delayed until a summer recess in years time. This is what all guilty PMs do.
— Freamon’s Burner (@FreamonB) February 6, 2026
Mandelson cover up?
On 6 February, Skwawkbox reported for the Canary that the police raided Mandelson’s properties. If you’re a longtime Mandelson disliker, it will warm your heart to see the following image (although we would have preferred riot cops booting down his doors):
BREAKING: police raid Mandelson’s properties in Epstein hit
Police have raided two properties belonging to disgraced former Starmer adviser Peter Mandelson over his Epstein linkshttps://t.co/0xerIGeX6S
— Canary (@TheCanaryUK) February 6, 2026
God knows what the police will uncover in Mandelson’s lair.
At the same time, the security services are looking into Starmer’s decision to make Mandelson the ambassador to the US. As Sky News reported above:
We’re hearing that Sir Keir Starmer has warned a very significant volume of material will likely need to be reviewed in relation to Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US. But the Prime Minister said the government wanted to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency it deserves. That’s coming in a letter to the intelligence and Security Committee this evening.
So, the Prime Minister warning that a significant volume of material will have to be reviewed in relation to that appointment of Lord Mandelson as ambassador. And the government wants to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency it deserves.
The first thing to point out is that when Starmer made Mandelson the ambassador to the US, he knew that the guy had maintained a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after the paedophile was convicted for sex crimes.
This, by itself, should be enough for Starmer to resign.
Last September, Keir Starmer told the Commons that he had “full confidence” in Peter Mandelson.
Well, the public has no confidence in him.
He must resign. pic.twitter.com/h5YbuhL1I3
— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) February 6, 2026
And as we’ve highlighted over and over again; it wasn’t just Starmer who knew — everyone knew. The reason it wasn’t a scandal then is because the British media is a freakshow with a selective memory:
This article came out in the FT over a year before Starmer appointed Mandelson
Starmer knew everything
Another powerful man who failed Epstein’s victims because he didn’t care
Starmer has to go. Now https://t.co/aSYRHCPbLk pic.twitter.com/ICn9OUWsX0
— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) February 5, 2026
People are worrying that these Mandelson Files will be full of unjustifiable redactions:
Right from the Trump playbook. https://t.co/BMLe5Piuec
— Tammy Twotone (@TheTammyTwotone) February 7, 2026
As we’ve covered, this is precisely what’s happening with the Epstein Files (although even then, enough got out to finish Mandelson; imagine what we’d know about him without all those black bars).
How long can this drag on for?
There could be good reason for security services to spend time vetting these files. The problem for Starmer is that no one trusts him, so this all just looks like a cover up.
If Starmer remains in position, he’s going to suffer months of devastating new revelations which further dent his rock-bottom popularity. Labour MPs know that; the question is do they have the backbone to give Starmer the boot before he can inflict maximum damage?
Featured image via Epstein Files
As reported by the Canary, six of the Filton 24 prisoners recently walked free after being acquitted of the charges against them. Now, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced its intent to seek a retrial against these activists:
A CPS spokesperson said: “Prosecutors are now considering the precise basis on which that retrial would proceed, including the form of the indictment, in accordance with CPS legal guidance.” pic.twitter.com/oauNsFTMct
— Crown Prosecution Service (@CPSUK) February 7, 2026
Filton 24 triumph short lived
On 4 February, Skwawkbox reported for the Canary:
Six members of the Filton 24 have been acquitted by a jury in a major victory for anti-genocide protesters. After an 8-day deliberation Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Ellie (Leona) Kamio, Fatema Zainab Rajwani, Zoe Rogers, and Jordan Devlin were cleared of charges brought against them by the Starmer regime. The ‘Filton 24’ are a group of political prisoners held for action to inhibit the manufacture of Israeli weapons used against Palestinians.
The case of the Filton 24 activists was used as justification to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Commenters have now argued this should challenge that proscription:
Palestine coalition welcomes Filton case outcome as significant defeat for the government which used the case to justify its disgraceful proscription of Palestine Action🧵 pic.twitter.com/1MbL5JbTfh
— Stop the War Coalition (@STWuk) February 6, 2026
The UK government pinned its case for declaring Palestine Action a terrorist organisation largely on the trial of the so-called Filton Six, claiming they had proved the group to be violent.
A jury today found none of them guilty of any of the charges. pic.twitter.com/pytV3HIJcl
— Jonathan Cook (@Jonathan_K_Cook) February 4, 2026
The case also challenged earlier assertions that activists “smashed” the spine of a police officer, although some journalists have continued to make the claim:
Allison Pearson is now flat-out lying about the #filton24 case: not even the prosecution claimed the officer’s spine was “smashed” – shameful deception, a complete betrayal of her journalistic ethics and possibly criminal contempt of court https://t.co/BqdyjNXfJE
— Man in the High Castle (@mcelderrytruth) February 5, 2026
Although the government attempt to portray the Palestine Action activists as violent criminals, this body-cam footage, shown to the jury during the first Filton 24 trial, shows an Elbit security guard attacking two defendants with a sledgehammer. pic.twitter.com/pY2FWctcfp
— Asa Winstanley (@AsaWinstanley) February 4, 2026
Following the acquittal, Naila Ahmed (Head of Campaigns at CAGE) said:
This is a huge victory for the movement but nationally and abroad who campaigned on behalf of the defendants, and a powerful affirmation of jury independence and moral courage in the face of extraordinary political pressure.
Though they cannot get back the 17 months of their life taken from them unlawfully, they should all be compensated and the remaining 18 defendants of the Filton 24 should also be released on bail. This case was used to justify the ban against Palestine Action, a decision that should now be overturned.
CAGE calls for full compensation for those acquitted, a lifting of the ban on Palestine Action, an independent review into the political handling of the case, and the abolition of terror laws. The acquittal should prompt serious reflection on how easily due process can be eroded when political interests are at stake.
This case from the start has been heavily politicised.
The CPS are now publicly declaring, before the court hearing, that they’ll seek a retrial, despite the defendants having already spent 18months in prison without a single conviction.
This is political theatre. https://t.co/VdUw9wLjyG
— Huda Ammori (@HudaAmmori) February 7, 2026
Huda Ammori, the cofounder of Palestine Action added:
This case from the start has been heavily politicised.
The CPS are now publicly declaring, before the court hearing, that they’ll seek a retrial, despite the defendants having already spent 18months in prison without a single conviction.
This is political theatre.
Indeed it is Huda, indeed it is.
Featured image via CPS
As we reported on 6 February, Donald Trump posted an explicitly racist video to his Truth Social account:
BREAKING: Trump just posted an incredibly racist photo of the Obama’s faces photoshopped on to the body of apes.
Every day is a new rock bottom for this ugly pig. pic.twitter.com/GlMM7Cfjoe
— Dean Withers (@itsdeaann) February 6, 2026
There have been several developments since then, with the end point being that Trump admitted to being the one responsible.
Trump-anzee
After the US President posted his hate crime, several of his supporters claimed ‘he didn’t post that, actually‘.
This is how that went (see the community note at the bottom):
FAKE NEWS ALERT! Trump Didn’t post this monkey video of the obamas
Lying Democrats
It’s not on his page
Fake screenshot pic.twitter.com/91zsEo4L7t
— Terrence K. Williams (@w_terrence) February 6, 2026
Trump’s more cautinary boot lickers suggested it was all a big mistake:
I sincerely hope President @realDonaldTrump didn’t realise this 60-second clip he reposted last night didn’t end with the vile racist imagery of the Obamas as apes. He should delete it immediately. pic.twitter.com/jHZln3u98Q
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 6, 2026
Karoline Leavitt (White House press secretary) would later claim the following:
This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle & Democrats as characters from The Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage
Bullshit aside, why is the White House producing so many memes? Shouldn’t they be busy undoing the havoc that Trump has wrought on the economy?
Later in the day, the American President’s team actually deleted the video — suggesting the “outrage” was warranted, actually:
Donald Trump has finally deleted that racist post depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys from his Truth Social media account. But not before the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it a meme. pic.twitter.com/aouLXMavGW
— Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) February 6, 2026
They’d also claim that actually a staffer posted the video:
First the WH @PressSec defended Trump’s racist tweet and mocked “fake outrage” coming from critics. Now they’re saying a staffer posted it around midnight and that the tweet has been deleted. Tell us another one! pic.twitter.com/tjU3r8fws7
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 6, 2026
Ultimately, Donald made a mockery of all his defenders by simply admitting he was the one responsible:
Reporter: The WH says a staffer sent that video. Are you going to fire the staffer?
Trump: No. I looked at it. I didn’t see the whole thing. I gave it to the people, they posted it.
Reporter: Are you going to apologize?
Trump: No, I didn’t make a mistake. pic.twitter.com/VH1qmEOmb2
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 7, 2026
Shameful
So the meme that someone else chose for Trump and then they deleted; the president chose it himself, actually, and also he was right to do so.
Clear?
We understand Trump’s loyalists don’t care about the racism, but aren’t they sick of being embarrassed?
Featured image via Truth Social
Neo-nazi Trump supporter Jake Lang has been hilariously arrested in St Paul, Minnesota, after publishing footage of himself equally hilariously destroying an anti-ICE ice sculpture.
Lang, a ‘Jan 6er‘ thug who served four years in prison before Trump pardoned him, then told his followers he’d see them on 7 February outside the Minnesota state capital, where he destroyed the sculpture.
No, he probably won’t, since he’ll likely still be in jail — or if he’s lucky, on bail — after being arrested for criminal damage. Especially since local cops won’t exactly be short of evidence, with him filming everything and publishing it.
And in true far-right fashion, he made a right pillock of himself. Lang nearly emasculated himself with his first kick, then almost fell over — and was quite puffed out by the time he had finished shortening ‘Prosecute ICE’ to ‘Pro ICE’. Bright lad, that:
Lang has previously posted an image of himself performing a nazi salute outside a synagogue. Perhaps not the sharpest tool in the box, then.
Featured image via the Canary
Whether it happens on your postprandial fart walk, right in the middle of yoga class or while you’re sleeping, everyone — even the poshest among us — farts.
According to Dr. Satish Rao, professor of Medicine at Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia, the average person farts seven to 24 times a day.
“It’s a normal physiological phenomenon,” he said, explaining flatulence as the byproduct of fermentation in the colon.
That fermentation creates gas, which is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen and more. One surprisingly smelly fact is that more than 99% of farts are odourless, but a foul smell comes from trace sulphur compounds. Unfortunately, our noses are extremely good at detecting sulphur, even in microscopic amounts.
Once that gas is formed, Rao said there are only two options for it to escape. “Some gas will move from the lining of the colon to the bloodstream, then get exhaled by the breath,” he said. “But the other pathway out is the fart. The gas will find its way out eventually, and if you produce a lot of gas too quickly, it won’t be absorbed, but will automatically push its way out through the anus.”
In general, a few farts a day are nothing to worry about, said Dr. Cait Welsh, postdoctoral researcher from Monash University and the Hudson Institute of Medical Research. “Most of the time, the release of gas is a healthy sign that digestion and gut microbiota are happy and functioning well.”
While you produce gas all day long, you’re more likely to let ’em rip during sleep, when your anal sphincter relaxes and gas escapes more easily.
Which People Are The Gassiest?
It might be hard to think of King Charles or the Pope as real toot machines, but Rao is positive that anyone who eats food, especially carbohydrates, is going to fart at least some time during each day. And some of us are certainly more, um, productive than others, said Dr. Folasade P. May, associate professor of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles.
“People who chew a lot of gum, drink carbonated drinks or eat too quickly may swallow more air, for example, which can cause flatulence,” she said. “Other people have gut bacteria that produce more gas. Diet, how fast you digest, and medications can also change how much gas you make and pass.”
If you’re thinking that President Donald Trump is making you fart more, you might be right. (Fun fact: An old Australian slang word for a fart is a “trump.”) Stress or anxiety, about the current political climate or matters closer to home, can have an impact on how much someone farts, May said.
“Especially in people with irritable bowel syndrome or other functional gut disorders, stress can change how fast we eat and digest, making flatulence seem worse,” May explained.
krisanapong detraphiphat via Getty Images
Foods That Can Up Your Fart Count
Dr. Ed Giles, a pediatric gastroenterologist and associate professor of pediatrics at Monash University, noted that the most well-known foods to cause gas are the so-called FODMAP foods, an acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols.
The key term for these carbohydrates, Giles said, is “fermentable.” That means the foods have an ability to produce gas. “They feed the bacteria in the gut and the bacteria produce the gas, including methane, which smells,” he said.
May outlined some of the worst FODMAP culprits: beans, lentils, onions, garlic, crucifers like broccoli and cabbage, and some whole grains and fruits. “If you’re lactose intolerant, consuming dairy can also increase gas production,” she said.
When To Be Concerned
Gas is concerning when it’s painful, disruptive or different from your normal pattern. If you’re regularly releasing gas more than 23 or 24 times a day and it’s causing problems, it’s worth investigating. However, some people may experience more flatulence than that and it’s still considered normal; it all depends on your diet and your personal health factors.
“The most important thing is that if excessive flatulence is persistent or accompanied by pain, weight loss, diarrhea or blood in the stool, it’s worth consulting a clinician for evaluation,” May said. “If gas is persistent or accompanied by these other warning signs, a clinician can help sort out causes.”
Some of the conditions a health care professional will want to rule out include celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose or other food intolerances, pancreatic enzyme insufficiency and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Connective tissue disorders like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and other diseases like multiple sclerosis also come with increased flatulence.
You might be asked to keep a food journal and, yes, even count the number of farts you produce each day. Luckily, there are now several apps to help you do this, including Gaslog, FlareCare, Gutly and Vitalis. These apps aren’t medical diagnostic tools, but might help you spot patterns in how your diet and lifestyle contribute to gas symptoms.
And just keep in mind that everyone — every single one of us — has experienced an ill-timed fart, and lived to tell the tale. So unless your gas comes with pain or surprises, you’re probably just doing what everyone else is doing, too.
Well, well, well, it looks like Reform UK have been accused of dodgy tricks in the Gorton & Denton by-election:
A number of residents have received this correspondence. The @ElectoralCommUK are aware and it is our understanding that they are discussing this matter with the police. https://t.co/PaciUNuac4
— Turn Left Media (@TurnLeftMediaUK) February 6, 2026
Don’t Reform UK sell themselves as a party of law and order?
Hopefully they don’t intend to follow the Donald Trump model of ‘law and order’, which is to break every law in order to extract maximum profit for himself. Although if they do, we shouldn’t really be surprised given Farage’s relationship with the US president.
Call the cops
The letter above may be a little blurry and small for you, but here’s what it says:
Dear Neighbour,
Forgive me for writing to you, but with the Gorton and Denton by-election on Thursday, 26th February, I feel I have no choice.
My name is Patricia. I am a local pensioner, 74 years old. I worked hard, paid my taxes, brought up my family here, and always believed that if you did the right thing, this country would look after you.
Lately, that belief has been shaken. Every month I worry about my energy bills. Prices in the shops keep rising. My pension does not stretch far enough.
I previously voted Labour because Keir Starmer told us things would change for the better. They haven’t. The truth is that Britain no longer feels like the country I grew up in. Simple things like doctor’s appointments or the buses don’t work. The system feels broken, and no-one in charge seems able to fix it.
Keir Starmer’s Labour government doesn’t care about Gorton and Denton. Their tax rises have cost pensioners like me an extra £160 that we cannot afford. I remember how our last Labour MP – a government minister – wished that a local pensioner who asked about her bin collection would drop dead!
In the Gorton and Denton by-election, I understand why some neighbours who have had enough of Keir Starmer are thinking of voting Green. But I do not believe the Greens have answers to our problems. They have extreme policies like legalising drugs and letting men use women’s changing rooms. What good would that do people like us?
For me, this by-election comes down to a simple choice: more broken promises from Keir Starmer, or real change. That is why I will be voting for Reform UK’s candidate, Matthew Goodwin, who grew up in Manchester. Our area deserves someone who will stand up for local people.
I do not want Keir Starmer to be our Prime Minister anymore. Voting for Reform is the best way to kick him out. After a lifetime of voting loyally, I feel I have no choice but to vote for Reform UK on Thursday, 26th February. Please think about doing the same.
Yours sincerely,
A concerned neighbour,
Patricia Clegg
Firstly, if you’re on a pension, we’ve got bad news for you about Reform UK:
55% of the welfare bill is spent on pensions.
The majority of sick and disabled people receive around £9k to £11k a year.
Reform UK wants to cut £25 Billion from welfare.
To get this much means they would have to make massive cuts from sickness benefits and pensions. https://t.co/8NpJ1S6Wlt— Dr_Rebecca (@Dr_Bekka_UK) January 21, 2026
Secondly, as this video shows, when someone rang the number on the envelope, there was no ‘Patricia Clegg’ there:
Have you seen this? https://t.co/p0BiRtQQa3
— James Foster (@JamesEFoster) February 6, 2026
The printers who answered confirmed that they produced the letter for Reform UK, and that it was “official literature” for the party. Strange, given that the letter didn’t mention ‘Reform UK’ anywhere. And this is why the situation has become a matter for the police:
Reform UK will face a police investigation in Gorton and Denton after admitting that it sent out letters from a “concerned neighbour” which did not state that they had been distributed and funded by the party.https://t.co/ZoYvV4bp0J
— Anne Greensmith 💙 (@snowleopardess) February 6, 2026
Reform UK told the Guardian that Clegg is a real woman; they also spoke to her. She said:
I was asked to support Reform; would I be willing to do a letter and put my name to it? And I said, ‘Yeah’, and I left the rest to them
According to Reform, the letters should have had all the correct legal stuff on, but some sort of printing error cut it off. And, to be fair, the printer has ‘taken full responsibility’ for this alleged error. People aren’t buying it, though:
The Reform UK @GoodwinMJ campaign and printer is blaming a “trimming error” for the imprint not being on the letter.
Bearing in mind the letter is A4, what exactly was trimmed.
And why would you print on A4 and trim it? The images show it clearly wasn’t trimmed.
The lie is… pic.twitter.com/EJ7q8O118h
— Reform Party UK Exposed 🇬🇧 (@reformexposed) February 6, 2026
Keep Reform out
People have said that Reform did something similar in the Caerphilly by-election:
Reform did the *exact* same thing in Caerphilly and no one outside of Wales seemed to care. https://t.co/D24NLRbLBK
— Morgan Paulett (@MorganPaulett) February 6, 2026
You may be pleased to know that for all Reform threw at Caerphilly, the people came together to roundly reject them (abandoning Labour in the process):
Caerphilly by-election broke several records:
🔴 First time Labour has lost in 115 years
🔴 Worst-ever Labour result
🏴 Best-ever Plaid Cymru result
🔵 Worst-ever Tory result
➡️ Highest Reform % in a Welsh FPTP seat https://t.co/7ySKTr2jBv pic.twitter.com/sDKXaOzWsP— Stats for Lefties 🍉🏳️⚧️ (@LeftieStats) October 24, 2025
Let’s hope the Greens can achieve a similar result in Gorton & Denton.
Featured image via Gage Skidmore (Wikimedia)
In 2026, high returns on real estate investments are linked to emerging growth hotspots. While prices in the US and Western Europe show moderate increases, dynamic markets such as Greece, the UAE, Vietnam, and Turkey are delivering double-digit yields.
In this article, we explore why investing in developing economies often produces 8–15% annual growth compared to 3–4% in mature markets and highlight key destinations where you can acquire not just property, but a high-yield asset.
Why Consider Fast-Growing Markets?
Investing in fast-growing markets is attractive because property prices are still relatively low but increase rapidly. Unlike mature economies, where market parameters are already established, these countries are often in active development: populations are growing, infrastructure is expanding, and housing demand outpaces supply. This creates a foundation for higher overall investment returns.
Key advantages:
- High growth rates: Active construction, city development, and an initially low price base enable rapid property value appreciation alongside economic growth.
- Accessibility: Lower prices allow investors to enter the market with smaller capital and acquire assets in promising locations that can increase significantly in value.
- Attractive rental yields: Growing demand for housing, fueled by tourism, migration, and labor market growth, supports high rental rates.
- Comprehensive infrastructure development: Roads, transport hubs, and commercial and social projects boost area attractiveness and stimulate long-term demand.
Comparing Developed and Developing Markets
| Metric | Developing Markets | Mature Markets (US, UK) |
| Annual price growth | 5–15% nominal; 5–10% real | 3–4%; market near peak |
| Average rental yield | 5–10% (Turkey 6–8%, UAE 5–7%, Greece 4–6%) | 5–7% |
| Average property price | $150,000–$300,000 (Turkey, Montenegro, Greece) | ~ $350,000 |
| Risk level | Medium: currency fluctuations, regulatory changes | Low: high predictability, stable institutions |
Top Emerging Real Estate Markets
Greece
Greek real estate shows consistent growth: in 2025, prices increased 8–9%, with urban areas rising ~6% in Q1 2025. Foreign capital remains a key driver: over 9,000 Golden Visa Greece applications were submitted in 2024 (10% more than in 2023). In popular tourist zones, foreign buyers account for up to 70% of transactions.
The Greek residency-by-investment program, with a minimum threshold of €250,000 for renovated properties, adds incentive. Applications take about 4 months; residency is granted for 5 years with renewal rights for the family, without a requirement to reside permanently.
- Rental yield: 4.5–8% annually; small apartments in central Athens yield 6–8%, while short-term rentals on Mykonos and Santorini can exceed 10%.
- Price growth: 6–10% annually in key areas.
- Promising locations: Athens, Thessaloniki, and major islands – Crete, Rhodes, Corfu.
Cyprus
Cyprus is one of the region’s most dynamic markets. In 2025, transaction volume reached a record €5.71 billion, and prices rose 6.51%. Growth is concentrated in Limassol, Larnaca, and Nicosia, supported by stable tourism (over 4 million visitors) and residency-by-investment programs.
- Rental yield: 5.4–7%; Limassol reaches 7%.
- Demand: high for properties up to €250,000 and luxury villas over €1.5 million.
- Promising locations: Limassol (highest yield), Larnaca (fast sales growth), Nicosia (stable demand), Paphos (tourist market).
Malta
The Maltese market benefits from tourism and economic growth (+6%). In 2025, sales increased 14% and prices 6.8%. Apartments and penthouses in Special Designated Areas (SDAs) are particularly sought after by foreigners, with no restrictions on foreign ownership.
- Rental yield: average 4%; in premium areas (St Julian’s, Sliema) 5–10%, with some projects up to 15%.
- Price growth: Valletta 6–8% annually.
- Promising locations: SDAs, coastal districts, areas near universities.
Japan
After a stagnation period, the Japanese market is recovering. Yen depreciation stimulated tourism (+18%) and foreign investment inflows. Prices in major cities increase 5–7% annually, with premium properties appreciating 12–20%.
- Rental yield: 3–6% per year.
- Price range: $400,000–$650,000 for quality properties.
- Promising locations: central Tokyo (Shibuya, Minato), Kyoto (Higashiyama), Osaka (Kita).
South Korea
The market is expanding due to a tech boom and foreign investment. Tourism grows 20–22%; Seoul prices rise 4–6% annually, and luxury apartments can gain up to 30% in five years.
- Rental yield: 2–7%; short-term rentals in tourist areas yield 4–7%.
- Price range: from $350,000 for apartments in premium areas.
- Promising locations: Gangnam and Mapo in Seoul, areas near university campuses.
Vietnam
The market grows 7–9% annually due to urbanisation, infrastructure projects, and increased tourism (up to 18 million visitors). Foreign investors actively buy projects starting at $150,000.
- Rental yield: 3–12% annually; coastal villas and tourist apartments 8–12%.
- Resale profits: may exceed 20%.
- Promising locations: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Danang, Nha Trang.
UAE (Dubai)
Dubai remains a growth hotspot: in 2025, prices rose 15–18%. Investors are attracted by zero rental taxes and access to the “Golden Visa” for investments from $204,000.
- Rental yield: 7–11% annually for apartments.
- Price growth: areas like Palm Jumeirah exceed 13% per quarter.
- Promising locations: Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Village Circle.
Portugal
Portugal remains one of Europe’s most active markets: in 2025, prices grew 15–17% amid chronic supply shortages. Demand is strong in Lisbon, Porto, Algarve, and Madeira.
- Rental yield: 4–7% annually; Lisbon 5–7%, Porto up to 6.7%.
- Most sought-after properties: 1–3 bedroom apartments for long-term rental in major cities and tourist areas.
Turkey
The market is in a correction phase: nominal price growth is 30–40% annually, but real value is affected by inflation. A key driver for foreigners remains the citizenship-by-investment program via real estate purchase.
- Rental yield: average 7.5–8% nationwide; Istanbul 6–6.5%, Antalya 5–7.5%.
- Strategy: apartments in central Istanbul and resort properties in Antalya.
Montenegro
Property prices are rising rapidly: in 2025, growth reached 21%. Coastal locations (Budva, Kotor) see prices of €3,000–3,800/m²; premium complexes reach €12,000/m². Up to two-thirds of buyers are foreigners.
- Rental yield: 6–10% in coastal areas; 4.5–7% on average nationwide.
- Promising locations: Porto Montenegro, Budva Riviera, Bar.
What to Watch When Investing
- Legal regulations: foreign ownership rules vary widely, from freehold (UAE, Cyprus) to restricted zones (Turkey). Understand minimum holding periods, taxes, and reporting requirements.
- Currency risk: investing in developing economies carries local currency fluctuations, affecting real dollar returns.
- Liquidity: time to sell an asset ranges from weeks (Dubai) to months (seasonal markets like Montenegro).
- Fundamental drivers: sustainable growth depends on tourism, migration, and major infrastructure projects.
- Net yield: gross yields of 8–10% should be adjusted for taxes, maintenance, and vacancies. Actual net returns often range 2–5%.
How to Maximise Results in 2026
- Set clear goals: capital growth, rental income, or residency status.
- Analyse metrics: price growth, yield, entry cost, infrastructure development.
- Study legal environment: thoroughly check rules for non-residents, program requirements, and developer reliability.
- Plan your budget: include all costs—purchase, renovation, taxes, and management.
- Engage local experts: they minimise risks and ensure proper transaction handling.
- Manage the asset: monitor the market, update rental terms, and maintain the property to enhance value and liquidity.
The post After Anywheres vs Somewheres, meet the ‘Elsewheres’ appeared first on spiked.
Something peculiar is afoot in Great Britain. Last year, hundreds gathered on Bournemouth beach to witness a mass baptism. Crowds of young men marched under ‘Christ is King’ banners through the rain-slicked streets of London as part of the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ protest. MP Danny Kruger, then still a Conservative, went viral after declaring to an empty parliament chamber: ‘The story of England is the story of Christianity… We have to own our Christian story, or repudiate it.’ Meanwhile, as overall church attendance continues its slow slide across the UK, reports suggest young people are rediscovering faith with an intensity that belies the statistics and falling pew counts alike. A quiet revival, it seems, is stirring.
There is much debate surrounding the identity of the new Christians. Outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian and the Independent have launched head-scratching analyses into why ‘supporters of Tommy Robinson’ are being baptised en masse. The Times questions whether young men have ‘lost their herd immunity to Christianity’. At its kindest, the commentary paints young converts as ‘lost boys’ searching for meaning. At its harshest, it views the revivalists as hostile, hard-right interlopers using the Church’s imagery to further their political causes.
So what do we know about the newly devout? A 2025 report by the Bible Society describes the standard-bearers of the Christian resurgence as predominantly young and male. They are also more likely to be Catholic than Pentecostal or Anglican, suggesting an inclination towards a more liturgical, ritualistic version of the faith, as opposed to something purely experiential. Though we have yet to gain a complete picture, it is difficult to deny that the public face of Britain’s latest generation of believers seems designed to short-circuit every residual Anglican stereotype: not meek, guilt-ridden, or satisfied with the ‘milky’ Church, but bold, politically active and unapologetically online.
While it would be lazy to cast all of Gen Z converts as uncompromising American-style Christian fundamentalists, a brief scroll through Catholic Twitter is enough to confirm that this breed of believer now exists in Britain. X is where one is most likely to encounter what the internet refers to as a ‘TradCath’. Though not all traditional Catholics are TradCaths, all TradCaths are traditional Catholics (and then some). Members of this subculture mix scholarly tweed with crusader flair. They enjoy discussing the grandeur of faith – the meaty theology, the rites, the architectural splendour, the togas-and-sandals of it all – but show markedly less enthusiasm for the unglamorous grind of parish politics and the slow, unspectacular work of keeping institutions of faith alive. Often, they can be found quote-tweeting political opponents with calls to repent, lamenting the liberal church reforms of the 1960s, and slam-dunking Matthew 10:34 (‘I have not come to bring peace, but the sword’) on ‘progressive’ atheists who insist Jesus was akshully an open-borders pacifist. British TradCaths – along with their disillusioned Anglican counterparts – are also intensely proud of their nation’s Christian heritage.
It is clear to see why X has become the natural gathering place for this crowd. In recent years, the platform has offered unprecedented space for theological discussion and zealous performance in equal measure. No longer are British Christians limited to interactions with their local parish priest during surgery hours; now, they can bicker online with top theologians, anonymous monks, unverified shamans, podcasting Dominicans, reformed Baptists and just about everyone in between.
Amid the noise, a handful of figures have carved out more prominent, more politicised platforms for themselves. And this is where we come to an emergent strain of Christian nationalism. Just this past November, pundit and recent addition to the priesthood Calvin Robinson issued the following call:
‘England is a white Christian country. One does not need to be an etho-nat[ionalist] to appreciate that… Christians are persecuted in England. Christianity thrives under persecution. If white Englishmen want to survive, they must return to the faith of their forefathers.’
Robinson is not entirely wrong. For all its ethnic mixing and complex pockets of immigration, England remains majority white. And though the Kingdom of England was not officially Christian when it was founded in 927 AD, it has certainly been culturally Christian for much of its existence. Even after the accelerated decline of churchgoing from the late 20th century onwards, Britain’s institutions, landscape, art, community structure and moral vocabulary are shot through with a distinctly Christian inheritance. If we in the West are goldfish, as historian Tom Holland puts it, then Christianity is the water in which we swim.
At the same time, there’s plenty to challenge here, too – particularly the idea that the ‘survival’ of ‘white Englishmen’ hinges on a return to the faith. As others have pointed out, this sounds like Christianity infused with blood-and-soil nationalism. A form of identity politics rebranded with Templar iconography.
The Church of England leadership has, until recently, had few qualms about mixing faith and politics, especially ‘progressive’ politics. Its leaders have frequently spoken out on a range of issues, from opposing the former Tory government’s attempts to tackle illegal immigration to coming out in support for Black Lives Matter. But it seems they’re less happy if those of an unwoke persuasion invoke Christianity. So they accused those attending the Unite the Kingdom rally last autumn of ‘co-opting’ and ‘corrupting’ the cross in order to divide.
‘Many will come in my name’, said Jesus, shortly before his crucifixion, ‘and they will lead many astray’. Certainly, the prevailing view is that the pied pipers have arrived. But for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of this apparent Christian revival, it would be unwise to entirely dismiss Calvin Robinson’s claim that Christians are facing a tough time in Britain right now. Because it’s this sense of persecution, of being culturally threatened, that is partially driving the Christian pushback.
Of course, Christians here don’t face systemic persecution in any life-threatening sense of the word. To suggest as much does a huge disservice to some 380million Christians around the world, from North Korea to Nigeria, for whom persecution is a bleak and daily reality. That said, British Christians have faced a growing range of pressures since the turn of the century. One 2025 report placed the UK among Europe’s ‘most hostile’ countries to Christians; another found that 56 per cent of British Christians have experienced antagonism or ridicule when discussing their faith. Interestingly, this rose to 61 per cent for respondents under 35, suggesting younger generations are even less tolerant of Christianity than their largely secular Gen X parents.
No faith should be exempt from mockery in a liberal, secular society – and in the case of Christianity, whose central claim is that God became man to endure the ultimate humiliation, a certain tolerance for mean-spirited jibes ought to be expected. The same goes for the attempts to deny or distort Britain’s religious past, from English Heritage’s ahistorical assertion that Christmas is actually a refurbished Roman Sun-god festival, to the continued creep of insipid Americanisms like ‘happy holidays’ and ‘festive season’. Christianity is often cast in the post-colonial fantasies of modern academia as the scheming sidekick to ‘whiteness’ (the final boss of Western wrongdoing), and so it has become increasingly awkward for forward-thinking institutions to associate with. But these slights remain of the annoying but largely harmless kind. They might even be understood as the spasms of a newly post-Christian society desperate to prove itself as such. Convert zeal, if you like.
Far less easy to dismiss, however, is the growing number of British Christians facing censorship, unfair dismissal and, in some cases, arrest over matters of belief. In 2025, multiple Christians faced fines or police action for quietly protesting near abortion clinics, including a woman fined £20,000 for holding a sign reading ‘here if you want to talk’. Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who was praying silently in her head within an abortion clinic ‘buffer zone’ was told by police that her ‘mere presence’ was deemed ‘harassment’.
These were not isolated incidents. Christian teachers, pastoral workers and medical staff increasingly report a sense of vulnerability over holding views that are central to their faith. There was Kristie Higgs, who, in 2019, was unlawfully suspended from her role at a school in Gloucestershire, after criticising her son’s sex-education curriculum on a private Facebook page. Or the anonymous teacher who was dismissed, referred to a safeguarding board and reported to the Metropolitan Police after telling a Muslim student that ‘Britain is still a Christian state’.
Just like the freedom to mock or criticise Christianity, the freedom to express Christian beliefs must be protected under law. But both Christian and secular observers are beginning to note inconsistency in how such protections are applied. In March 2025, Bristol-based pastor Dia Moodley was accosted by three Muslim men while preaching about the differences between Christianity and Islam. The men began to shove him. ‘I’m going to stab you’, said one. Somerset police officers responded to the incident by threatening to arrest Moodley for ‘breaching the peace’. Moodley had already been arrested back in 2024 for public comments made about Islam.
This incident captures the key ingredient contributing to the turn among some towards a more assertive Christianity – namely, the growing and uneasy awareness that Britain’s Christian heritage is colliding, more and more frequently, not only with official multiculturalism, but also with Islamic sectarianism and extremism.
This unease is not altogether unfounded. Indeed, Christmas markets that once conjured images of tinsel and fairy lights have now become associated with anti-ramming bollards. In the Essex seaside town of Southend, shopfronts were recently vandalised with intimidatory graffiti reading ‘This is a Muslim area’. Last year, police were summoned after a Muslim woman stormed into an Islington church, shouting repeatedly into its sound system: ‘I have come to kill the God of the Jews.’ A month prior, a mob of around 50 balaclava-clad Muslim males had trashed Croydon high street while chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’.
Set against the backdrop of government efforts to enshrine an official definition of ‘Islamophobia’ – one that would render robust criticism of Islam extremely difficult – it is perhaps unsurprising that sections of Britain’s disenfranchised youth are starting to feel apprehensive. And so they are looking to Christianity to provide a buffer against the aggressive strain of Islam that the UK has been incubating.
This brings us to anti-Islam campaigner Tommy Robinson, seen as the combative figurehead of Britain’s Christian nationalism. Although he has long talked up the importance of Britain’s Christian heritage, he seemingly underwent his own road-to-Damascus moment during a prison sentence in 2024, when he is said to have become a Christian convert. He now wants to see Christianity actively celebrated in public life – as a marker not just of faith, but also of national unity.
‘There should be a massive Christmas event put on by our government’, Robinson insisted towards the end of 2025. ‘Did you see Poland’s this year? Did you see the Christmas market switch-on? All the lights, lit in the colours of their country.’ Soon after, Robinson announced his own alternative: a carol concert entitled ‘UNITED FOR CHRIST THIS CHRISTMAS’, each letter emblazoned with the colours of the Union flag. While publicly framed as a peaceful celebration – ‘not about politics, immigration, or other groups’ – promotional emails sent out on the lead-up to the concert told a slightly different story:
‘The left-wing elites are waging a ruthless war on Christianity, tearing down our crosses and silencing our prayers in the name of their globalist agenda. Lefty cities like Sheffield (which has a Muslim mayor), have cancelled their Christmas lights this year… But we will not yield our Christian heritage demands we fight back with unyielding resolve.’
Another email cast the event as a kind of festive resistance: ‘This isn’t just a concert, it’s a rally for our values… a statement that Britain belongs to the British people.’ In the same message, London mayor Sadiq Khan was labelled ‘a coloniser’, ‘unwelcome guest’ and ‘Muslim extremist’ who ‘will hate the fact that real Christians are celebrating Christmas on his patch’. While Khan had allegedly transformed ‘London, our city, into a Sharia Zone’, Robinson’s event would be ‘a shining light in the midst of turmoil caused by unchecked immigration and the fading of our cultural identity’.
In the end, the 13 December concert drew only a fraction of the attendees that Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom rally had just two months earlier. Nonetheless, the media responded as if this sparsely crowded carol concert was a 21st-century equivalent of Mussolini’s March on Rome. ‘A far-right perversion of the Gospel’ dedicated to ‘undermining peace and goodwill’, bleated the Guardian. Anglican priest and commentator Giles Fraser described it as an event for those with ‘thuggish anti-immigrant intent’, conjuring images of cross-wielding skinheads chanting ‘In-gur-land’ between verses of ‘Hark the Herald’. Yet a cursory glance at the footage suggests that if the concert’s aim was to wage spiritual warfare, it was a dismal failure.
Even so, Tommy Robinson and others have unwittingly exposed the biggest hole in the ‘Christian nationalist’ movement – there’s a lot about Christianity they don’t really get.
Put simply, the story of Christianity is not one of worldly glory. It has never promised civilisational dominance or cultural protection. It does not promise a comprehensive socio-political order in the way that Islam can. It therefore struggles to provide certain young Christian converts with what they want – which is something like the muscular, totalitarian convictions that they see exhibited among certain Islamist factions. This should come as a surprise to no one. The people of Israel once prayed for a king, a general, a liberator from the oppressions of Rome; what they got was a Nazarene carpenter who told them to ‘render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s’. Christ promised a separation of temporal and spiritual powers. He offered no equivalent to Sharia, nor instructions for a militaristic branch of discipleship. Where Islam’s revelation assumes governance, Christianity’s assumes non-sovereignty. Christianity carries within it the promise of secularism. The upshot is that it leaves room for the very religious plurality that Islam has historically choked out – and that today’s Islamists and Muslim hard-liners are exploiting.
As Tertullian suggested some 18 centuries ago, and St Paul a couple of centuries before that, Christians conquer not by killing, but by dying. Conversely, in almost every instance that Christianity has become the reigning authority, its following has waned. It operates under the painful juxtaposition of being strong when it is weak, appealing when it is out of fashion. In that light, it is hard not to wonder if Tommy Robinson might have achieved more simply by picking a struggling parish (of which there are many) and attending a carol concert there – thus encouraging his millions of followers to do the same. Indeed, if there is a Christian revival underway, it is precisely because the British state has not been propping up the church, rather than in spite of it.
There is plenty about the state of modern Britain to be angry about. And it is entirely reasonable to want to preserve and renew one’s national culture. But those hoping Christianity will serve as a ready-made tool for national, cultural revival will be disappointed. This was clear even to the earliest Christians, hence Didache, writing in the first century AD, says nothing of Christianising the state, and everything of Christianising the men within it. Its leaders did not riot, stage protests, or attempt to reclaim Rome. Many went singing to their deaths in the Colosseum, transforming the world around them through witness, not force or fear. For some, this emphasis on inner renewal over political triumph will be a source of solace; for others, it will be a thorn in the flesh.
The temptation to make Christ a mascot for national renewal is not new. It was the temptation of Peter in the garden, of Constantine on the battlefield, of countless kings, clerics and national leaders since. But Christianity was born of exile – and its power has always come from being willing to lose. Whether Britain’s new Christians are willing to endure the sacrifice Christianity demands still remains to be seen.
Georgina Mumford is a content producer at spiked.
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