Politics
Sally-Ann Hart: Faith, conscience and public service
Sally-Ann Hart is the former MP for Hastings and Rye and a former Rother district councillor.
As a practising Roman Catholic and a Conservative, I am often asked how faith should sit alongside politics. How can someone be both Catholic and Conservative? Is this even a reasonable question? It is certainly one that deserves a serious answer, particularly at a time when religion is increasingly drawn into political conflict, both abroad and at home.
Across the world we can see the consequences of religion being politicised. In Iran, an extreme Islamist theocracy fuses religious authority with state power, suppressing dissent, restricting women’s freedoms and undermining democracy. In Russia, Vladimir Putin has repeatedly invoked the Russian Orthodox Church to lend spiritual legitimacy to his aggression and nationalism. In Afghanistan, the Taliban have used religion to coerce, control and instil fear. None of these examples shine a good light on religion. Instead, they demonstrate what happens when faith is used for extreme political ends, rather than shaping conscience. Faith should not become dogma or used as a political weapon but inform how we exercise power and not be used to legitimise power itself.
Britain’s tradition has been different. Whilst our institutions are not governed by scripture, centuries of Christian thought have profoundly shaped our laws, traditions and social norms. Ideas such as the dignity of the individual, the importance of family life, care for the vulnerable and the moral limits of power all have deep roots in Christian teaching. These are not imposed religious doctrines but principles that have informed our understanding of justice, responsibility and the public interest.
At a time of rapid social change and increasing political division, it is worth remembering why these values remain relevant, especially within Conservative politics.
Throughout my own public life as a solicitor, magistrate, school governor, councillor and Member of Parliament, my faith has never been a party badge or a political slogan. It has been something quieter but more important – a moral compass, my driving force.
Catholicism does not offer a political manifesto. It does not instruct believers how to vote. What it offers instead is a framework for thinking about human fallibility, human dignity, responsibility, and restraint. In that sense it sits naturally alongside the best traditions of British Conservatism. Both recognise that human beings do not flourish in chaos but within an ordered moral framework. Both understand that institutions, though imperfect, carry accumulated wisdom and provide stability across generations. Both recognise that compassion cannot endure without order and that rights must be balanced by responsibilities.
Modern politics often presents a false choice between rules and compassion, as though law and kindness were somehow incompatible. Catholic teaching rejects that. Rules are not the enemy of compassion but the recognition of human fallibility. Without law the weak suffer first. Without boundaries, power accrues to the loudest, the strongest or the most ruthless.
This balance is particularly visible in debates around immigration. Catholic teaching emphasises the dignity of every human person, including those fleeing poverty, persecution or conflict. But it also recognises the legitimacy of borders, the rule of law and the need for democratic consent. A system without rules is not compassionate. It is dysfunctional, and dysfunction harms the most vulnerable first, migrants and host communities alike. Catholics are used to holding these truths together. Conservatism, at its best, seeks to do the same.
Another similarity lies in our understanding of institutions. Catholicism is deeply institutional, believing in tradition, continuity and authority passed down through generations. This makes Catholics nervous about anything that might corrupt institutions from the inside or cause the whole system to collapse. Current populist politics attacks institutions as inherently corrupt or illegitimate. Theocratic politics, by contrast, seeks to capture them in the name of divine authority. Both paths are dangerous. Conservatives choose a different path, of reform rather than destruction, stewardship rather than domination, and authority exercised as service rather than theatrics.
Anger and hatred have sadly become a powerful force in modern politics. Reform UK and the Green Party thrive on grievance and division, drawing sharp distinctions between “the people” and “the system”, or between insiders and outsiders. Catholic moral teaching approaches such politics with caution. Whilst hatred can never be justified, anger can sometimes be – but it must be disciplined by reason, caution and responsibility. Politics driven primarily by grievance rarely produces stable outcomes.
Catholicism is conservative in the truest sense of the word. It seeks to preserve moral boundaries, the wisdom of tradition, and the understanding that not everything we can do is something we should do. Catholicism does not seek to impose belief by force or collapse the distinction between Church and state. Christianity is a moral tradition rooted in humility, responsibility and service, not politics. Faith loses its integrity when it becomes an instrument of the state, and politics loses legitimacy when it claims divine sanction. Faith in public life should elevate political debate rather than inflame it. It should encourage leaders to exercise power with conscience and restraint and remind us that politics exists to serve the public.
Catholic social teaching speaks to many current challenges. Its emphasis on subsidiarity – the principle that decisions should be taken as close as possible to those affected – reinforces the importance of local communities and civil society. Its understanding of stewardship is in line with the Conservative instinct to care for the environment and the resources we pass on to future generations. Its recognition of human dignity underpins the belief that every individual deserves opportunity, respect and protection under the law. These principles help guide political judgment rather than dictate policy.
I was recently elected President of Catholics in the Conservative Party, a group that encourages Catholics to engage thoughtfully in political life and public policy. Its purpose is not to campaign for specific outcomes, but to reflect on how Catholic social teaching – human dignity, subsidiarity, solidarity and the importance of family and community – can inform Conservative thinking. It also provides a space to consider public service as a vocation rooted in responsibility and charity, not power, and to consider the moral foundations of politics in today’s increasingly divisive culture.
Part of that task is rebuilding confidence among Catholic Conservatives that their faith-informed perspective has a legitimate place in political discussion. It also means reaffirming principles that lie at the heart of both Catholic social teaching and the best traditions of Conservatism – the inherent dignity of every person, the importance of family life, and the understanding that strong communities depend not only on government but on the institutions, relationships and responsibilities that exist between individuals and the state. Encouraging the next generation of Catholics to consider public service, whether in politics or the voluntary sector, will be equally important if these values are to continue shaping the character of our national life.
The balance between faith and politics is worth preserving. Voters need to understand not only what political parties propose to do, but why. Policies will evolve in response to changing circumstances, values should not.
At a time of growing division in politics, Catholicism offers a steady focus on responsibility, freedom and the common good. If these values continue to shape public life, our politics will be stronger for it.
Politics
The Iran war and the toxic fallout
The toxic fallout of the unprovoked, illegal US-Israeli war against Iran will haunt the region for generations. The Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEO) says the pollution produced by military strikes could have terrible long-term effects.
We’ve just updated our overview of environmentally damaging incidents in the Israeli-US war against #Iran. We’ve identified more than 300 incidents and remotely assessed 232 for harm.
Read more about these incidents and trends here: https://t.co/brloxSPBqE #IranWar #Iran 1/5 pic.twitter.com/1xH6isVkOJ
— Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS) (@ceobs_org) March 10, 2026
Iran was offering unprecedented concessions in negotiations at the time of the first strike on 28 February. The Pentagon has since stated there was no imminent threat from Iran while the UN’s atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said there is no evidence Iran was developing a nuclear weapon.
The Conflict and Environment Observatory reported:
As of the 10th March 2026, we have identified over 300 incidents, 232 of which have been assessed for their environmental risk. The results are mapped below, showing incidents in Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Jordan, Cyprus, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Azerbaijan. By far the commonest facility type is a ‘Military Object’.
The CEO added:
Of those the most impacted sub-type is ‘Airbases’. Away from military sites, incidents cover a range of facility types, with different pollution profiles, from hospitals, to tyre storage sites, to oil refineries. As the conflict proceeds, we are seeing more attacks on civilian and dual use infrastructure.
CEO listed different kinds of physical, economic and social damage which are likely to have long-term effects, including:
- Pollution from military sites and materiel
- Marine pollution
- Fossil energy infrastructure incidents
- Nuclear facilities
- Desalination plants
- Weakened environmental governance
We examine risks to the region’s terrestrial and marine environments. Attacks on naval and merchant shipping have the potential to cause serious pollution threats to sensitive habitats in the #PersianGulf. 3/5 pic.twitter.com/Xo1W3xIi0m
— Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS) (@ceobs_org) March 10, 2026
The CEO said they would continue to assess damage reports via social and traditional media:
We have seen a continuation — since our 3 day assessment — of pollution incidents that are placing people and ecosystems at risk of acute and long-term harm, and trends that could lead to substantial environmental damage as the war continues
Black rain over Tehran
In an earlier report published on 9 March, CEO assessed the effects of oil production sites being hit in Tehran, underlining the human cost:
Belligerents argue that attacks on oil facilities are militarily legitimate but in Tehran the civilian impact has been huge.
Israeli strikes on oil infrastructure between 7 and 8 March resulted “in a major environmental incident.”
Footage showed thick plumes of black toxic smoke and large fires burning at several facilities. This toxic mix of pollutants subsequently rained out over the city and entered drainage systems, raising concerns about possible surface and groundwater contamination.
With a population of more than nine million, the incident raises serious acute and long-term health concerns for Tehran’s residents.
The environmental impact of Israel’s genocide in Gaza is already being felt as congenital disabilities increase. The toxic legacy of the illegal Anglo-American invasion of Iraq is still unfolding, particularly in Fallujah where invading US forces weaponised depleted uranium and white phosphrous in November 2004 – which the Americans later admitted to.
The use of depleted uranium in the war on Iraq in 2003 has led to exposure of the local population to radioactive uranium dust. This could potentially explain the significant rise in cancer and congenital malformations documented in Fallujah after 2003.
Iran has snubbed US offers to negotiate citing the protection of its sovereignty and territorial integrity as its immediate priorities. The initial strike on Iran occurred amidst Oman-brokered negotiations which the mediating force at the time said had “advanced, substantially.”
Without an end to the war in sight, and with continuing US and Israeli aggression, the toxic potential of another forever war will mount. And a mix of US hubris and Israeli ambition will impose that burden on the people of the region.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
The Amazing Adventures of Hannah the Plumber
Hello trees, hello sky – hello, Hannah Spencer. All dressed up like a daffodil, the recently elected Green MP looks like she’s off to present a CBeebies show, and is apparently so wholesome that she makes Julie Andrews look like Julie Burchill. How extremely pleased the Greens must have been when she won the Gorton and Denton by-election in Manchester last month – proof at last that they’re not all mad and / or scary. But it’s nice to find out that she’s not perfect, and can fall prey to the sin of pride like so many of us. She told the Manchester Evening News recently: ‘I feel like I’ve already done more in the last two weeks, genuinely, than some MPs will do in six months or a year.’
Steady on, Mary Sue! These achievements, it seems, include delivering her maiden speech (to a Commons so sparsely attended that it resembled a Labour Party disco), in which she came out with salt-of-the-earthisms such as, ‘[W]here I’m from, we’re taught to look after each other’ and to ‘stick up for each other’. (This was only slightly undermined by the fact that Spencer once wrote in 2021 on Mumsnet that she was ‘glad’ to leave the area as it was full of ‘money-laundering takeaways’, according to the Telegraph.) ‘It’s in our blood and in our bones’, she told parliament, ‘we see each other as human’. Human as opposed to what – plant-pot holders? I’m always a bit suspicious of people claiming that a character trait is part of their actual bodily self – rather too blood-and-soil for my liking.
She then went all teary when reading out the names of women who allegedly inspired her (I noted that none of them had penises), before recovering and practically hugging herself with glee at, she says, the girls who went to school on International Women’s Day dressed as ‘Hannah the Plumber’ with ‘trademark hair’. Bit heteronormative – couldn’t they have dressed up as Eddie Izzard? And then there was the predictable shout out to ‘trans siblings’ and ‘Muslims’, but for some reason not to Muslim trans siblings.
In previous speeches, she has quoted children who have apparently said wise things to her – usually a sure sign of a phoney. This includes one child in her by-election acceptance speech, to whom she allegedly answered:
‘I promised you I would try and improve the world you are growing up in. I told you I am not perfect, but that I always try my best. I always try and do the right thing.’
In her Commons maiden speech, we got a long list of people who she was representing in parliament, only leaving out the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker, for some reason. What did Uncle Tom Cobley ever do to her, to be so cruelly snubbed? ‘Thank you for putting your faith in this plumber’, she ended.
There’s been no shortage of praise for Spencer from all the usual suspects. The Guardian called the speech she made after her by-election victory ‘endearingly down to earth’ and ‘an object lesson in grace’. This is what we’ve come to expect from a newspaper that has such a tin ear that it recently ran a column describing a business founded by a British Jew having all its windows smashed as a harmless gesture of solidarity with Gaza. Never heard of Kristallnacht, you Hamas-humping clowns?
What else has the busy bee Hannah Spencer been up to in two weeks that her co-workers couldn’t do in a year? Well, she witnessed her first PMQs and called them a ‘pantomime’, whereas to anyone who appreciates democracy, they’re one of the most vital (and entertaining) features of it:
‘Even though I knew what it was going to be like, I think it’s actually worse than I was expecting. That whole façade that people put on, this theatre of playing a certain way. That’s not what we’re there for. We’re there because people have elected us to do the things that we told them.’
This, from a woman who belongs to the same party as Mothin Ali, who once hounded a local rabbi into hiding, and who, when he was elected to Leeds City Council in 2024, stood in front of a Palestinian flag shrieking:
‘We will not be silenced. We will raise the voice of Gaza. We will raise the voice of Palestine. Allahu Akbar!’
Was this pathetic performance a ‘pantomime’, too? Or was it sinister, rather than silly? Either way, that she can criticise PMQs while not raising a peep about this does confirm the suspicion that the lethal teaming of the silly and the sinister is currently happening in the Green Party above all other places.
In her exciting first fortnight as a right-proper politician, lend-a-hand Hannah also found herself given a police escort after ‘scuffles’ broke out at an ‘anti-racism’ event in Manchester at which she had been emoting. As the Manchester Evening News had it, she said becoming an MP has changed the way she thinks about ‘personal safety’: ‘There’s a strange feeling about knowing the things I took for granted before’, she explained. ‘Being able to feel safe – safe enough – when I was walking around, I just can’t do any more. That’s really hard.’ Sensitive Hannah felt ‘real sadness’ to see how ‘angry’ people had become – including those who accused her of lying about being a plumber, a piece of doubtlessly ‘fake news’ which at one point included the naughty altering of her Wikipedia page to inform us that she was born in Kensington and grew up riding ponies.
It’s been erased now, thank goodness, but the question mark over Hannah’s social origins just won’t go away. Maybe because, generally, working-class girls don’t tend to be selected by the Guardian as among the ‘best-dressed of the fest’ at Glastonbury, for the reason that most working-class people would never think it a hoot to wallow in their own filth. It’s the white middle and upper classes who go in for that kind of lark.
Spencer seems to think that if only the media could stop telling fibs, we’d all be joining hands and singing ‘Kumbaya’ in Urdu. ‘Once upon a time we’d have been kids that played with each other’, she said in her Commons speech: ‘We’re all human, but some people have been exposed to a lot of misinformation and it’s making them really angry.’ Still, she’ll be struggling bravely on. ‘Just like I’ve given the energy to other jobs I’ve done – because I care about it and I want to get the work done – I’ll do that here’, she opined, upper lip barely quivering.
It’s fascinating the way that questions about Spencer’s social background won’t go away – and, I think, quite healthy, as it’s always good to be vocal when one smells a rat, even when the plumber’s already called and assured us there’s nothing to see here. The fascinating self-described ‘working-class academic’ Lisa Mckenzie still maintains that Spencer is not of the proletarian blood royale, despite the fact that she, until recently, got her hands dirty in a way that Mckenzie and indeed myself do not. I’m of the opinion that a great part of being working-class is having very low or no expectations. My parents did their best to remove my ambition from me, and they were lovely people. They just didn’t want me to get hurt. Growing up with ‘a thousand paper cuts every day’, as Mckenzie strikingly describes it. When I look at Spencer, I don’t get that feeling.
Still, it’s always nice to see a youngster living their dream, and I’m sure that Hannah’s never ridden a pony in her life, unless it was a pit-pony her dad brought home from t’mines and which she, like the earth-angel she is, nursed back to life. Let us mock no more at the fact that she keeps greyhounds – a fashion model’s idea of whippets. And let us snipe no longer that, if indeed she is the salt of the earth, it’s that pink Himalayan stuff that costs a fortune.
Let’s put carping aside and welcome to the bold, believable, real-life roster of Strong Female Role Models, from Rosie the Riveter to Dora the Explorer and now Hannah the Plumber. Even if she gets chucked out at the next election, think what a cracking CBeebies show it’ll make!
Julie Burchill is a spiked columnist. Follow her Substack, ‘Notes from the Naughty Step’, here.
Politics
UK abortion rights face attack from anti-choice Lords
A small set of women in the House of Lords are trying to end access to abortion telemedicine. More commonly known as the ‘pills by post’ scheme introduced during Covid-19 to ensure continued safe access to pregnancy terminations via remote consultations. It was made permanent in March 2022.
MPs tabled a similar proposal to end telemedicine access in summer 2025—however, it was quickly voted down. This time around, Tory peer Philippa Stroud tabled the motion as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. This circumvents the Commons, who have already voted the bill through.
Opponents of bodily autonomy
The version of the bill which passed through the Commons effectively decriminalises abortion altogether. As such, Stroud’s motion is an extreme reversal of the bill’s intent, subverting it into an attack on reproductive rights.
Stroud is backed by Kwisher Falkner, former head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and Sharon Davies, an ex-swimmer.
It’s notable that all three women are also known for their transphobia. Stroud founded a night shelter/church which attempted to ‘cure’ transsexuality and homosexuality by driving out demons. However, she denies this characterisation—in spite of victims’ testimonies.
Under Falkner’s leadership, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) took a hard pivot from a trans-positive stance to extreme hostility. Likewise, Davies threatened to sue amateur womens’ sporting bodies that allowed trans people to participate. Davies is also a vocal critic of drag, even complaining when the BBC ran a performer’s obituary.
These points are worth bearing in mind, given that transphobes often claim to be ‘defending women’. However, as this attack on abortion rights demonstrates, it’s never just about trans people. Eventually, they also turn out to be opponents of bodily autonomy itself—whether that be sexuality, gender, or abortion rights.
Anti-choice is anti-choice
In an article on the anti-choice motion, the Telegraph stated that critics claim the postal scheme is “open to abuse”. However, the article could not cite even one case of coercive abortion in telemedicine’s four-year history.
Davies describes herself as pro-choice, although that apparently doesn’t extend to choices she doesn’t want people to make. She stated in the Telegraph that:
being pro-choice does not excuse jeopardising safety or allowing a ‘Wild West’ of abortion pills, where pills can too easily fall into the hands of abusers coercing abortions, traffickers covering up abuse or women whose pregnancies are approaching full term.
The practical effect of the scheme is that women at any stage of pregnancy can get hold of abortion pills by misleading abortion providers on the phone about their gestation, either mistakenly or deliberately as in the case of Carla Foster, who was sent abortion pills by BPAS after pretending to be seven weeks pregnant when actually around 33 weeks.
Reintroducing in-person medical consultations for women seeking abortions is not about reducing access to abortion but ensuring safeguarding and best practice.
Note the turn in Davies’ language here. She starts by talking about coercion, and then quickly pivots to ‘concerns’ about people procuring the pills of their own volition. Again, this is not about safeguarding pregnant people; it’s an attack on bodily autonomy.
Lords’ debate
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service itself has stated that people should not have to visit a clinic for abortion pills. Research has demonstrated the safety of the process from a medical standpoint.
Likewise, vulnerable individuals in abusive relationships can also talk to a professional more easily over the phone than by visiting a clinic in person.
Tomorrow, 18 March, the House of Lords will debate the Crime and Policing Bill. In June 2025, the amendment to decriminalise abortion passed in the Commons with a massive 379 votes in favour, versus just 137 against.
As such, the Lords now have the opportunity to strike a historic blow in favour of reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. Alternatively, they can follow in Stroud’s footsteps, and impose further unnecessary limits to abortion access.
Featured image via Aiden Frazier/Unsplash
Politics
MI5 forced to apologise for sickening abuse
Britain’s MI5 must pay compensation to a woman coercively controlled, abused, and attacked with a machete by a neo-Nazi agent it employed. The agent also had fantasies about eating children. And the victim has warned that MI5 – which was found to have lied repeatedly – was still protecting the abuser.
In a story that gets worse with each sentence the sentence, the BBC reported:
Her legal claim followed a BBC investigation four years ago, which showed that the man, known publicly as Agent X, was a neo-Nazi misogynist who used his security service role as a tool of abuse.
The BBC found he used his status to abuse his partner, known by the alias Beth, before he moved abroad, while under police investigation, to continue intelligence work.
They added:
After subsequently failing in court to discredit Beth, MI5 recently offered to pay compensation to settle her claim. She has now accepted the offer.
Beth’s solicitor Kate Ellis – who also works for the Centre for Women’s Justice – said:
To have this kind of outcome and to win actually against a body like MI5 who are so shrouded in secrecy and in a sense so powerful, is a huge achievement for Beth.
MI5, which was found to have lied repeatedly, had also been forced to own up.
MI5 forced to apologise
The head of MI5 has also been forced to apologise:
We relied on incorrect evidence and our record keeping fell well short of the standard of professionalism that we expect, and to which Beth was entitled. We profoundly regret that our mistakes prolonged the litigation and caused additional suffering for Beth.
MI5 has settled Beth’s claim and we have apologised to Beth directly.
Prompted in part by Beth’s case, MI5 has embarked on a programme of work to reinforce the highest standards of record keeping and information management.
The MI5 chief was accused of trying to get the head of the BBC, Tim Davie, to quash the story in 2021:
In 2021, Sir Ken wrongly claimed the planned story was “inaccurate” when he personally contacted his BBC counterpart Tim Davie in a failed effort to undermine the reporting.
Fantasised about eating children
Details about the man accused are frankly mind boggling:
Evidence showed the MI5 spy, a foreign national, was a right-wing extremist with a violent past. He also engaged in fantasies about eating children.
He had abused a previous partner abroad, before taking on his MI5 role, including threatening to kill her and her child.
Beth met the agent on a dating site. He soon became controlling and physically and sexually abusive:
One video showed Agent X threatening to kill her and attacking her with a machete.
The BBC reported:
MI5 is currently under investigation after the BBC revealed that the security service gave false evidence to three courts while defending its handling of the agent.
In a statement, Beth said the compensation:
can never do anything to repair what I went through at the hands of X.
I’d pay that money so as not to have to experience even a minute of what I had to experience of the worst of his abuse.
She warned that
despite this apology, the MI5 are still protecting this violent misogynistic predator.
The British state has again been caught not only protecting abusers, but lying in order to derail investigations and protect their man. This is nothing new. The Canary has reported extensively on abuse by state agents. Victims like Beth deserve justice – and proverbial heads need to roll over this and many other cases of this nature.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Israel minister’s daughter found dead after child abuse allegations
Shoshana Strook has been found dead at her home in Israel on Sunday 15 March 2026. The Daily Sabah reported that Strook was found:
under circumstances that remain unclear, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Police have launched an investigation into the death, though officials have not publicly disclosed details about the cause.
Israel minister accused of abuse
Strook accused her government minister mother, along with her father and brother, of raping her for years as a child. She had hired lawyers to pursue justice only a few days before her death. In April 2025 Strook, the daughter of Israel’s far-right settlements minister fled to police and asked them to protect her. She accused both her parents and one of her brothers of raping her as a child, over a period of years, and filming the rapes. Her accusations came as other women testified to Israel’s Knesset about the abuse they suffered from political and religious leaders.
Women’s rights organizations in Israel have called for a broader investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death and the allegations she raised before it.
Widespread problem
The issue of child rape among Zionists is not limited to Israelis. The Netanyahu regime is currently ignoring well over 2,000 extradition requests for alleged and convicted paedophiles who fled there from other countries. Others have been convicted in the US, while the Zionist UK Labour party right also has a long record of paedophiles and other sex offenders.
Israeli psychotherapist and trauma expert Dr Anat Gur, head of the Bar-Ilan University trauma therapy program, has said that she believes organised child rape in Israel is widespread:
Organized child rape is one of the most horrific things I’ve encountered. It’s likely much more widespread than we think. It’s happening in places we least expect.
Strook’s death mirrors the long list of suspicious deaths among victims and associates of serial child-rapist and Israeli spy Jeffrey Epstein. These deaths include that of Virginia Giuffre, Epstein’s most well-known victim – who was also found dead after saying she would not. Jean-Luc Brunel, the French ‘modelling agent’ accused of procuring underage girls for Epstein, was found dead of supposed suicide in a French prison in 2022.
Featured image via Instagram
Politics
How To Make Viral ‘Frambled Eggs’
I’m not above a TikTok food trend. I’ve tried the surprisingly delicious overnight Weetabix and the viral Italian wedding soup, and have yet to be let down.
I regularly make some version of “brothy rice”, too.
So, despite its somewhat silly name, I’m more than willing to give its newest trend, dubbed “frambled eggs”, a go.

What are “frambled” eggs?
The name is a portmanteau of “fried” and “scrambled”.
Kait, the apparent originator of “frambled eggs”, made them by beginning to scramble some eggs in a hot pan and then accidentally leaving a yolk intact.
Deciding to leave it rather than mix the golden centre in with the rest of the dish, she kept it; creamy scrambled eggs acted as a richer “white” surrounding the runny centre.
The TikTok creator, however, didn’t name “frambled eggs” – that honour goes to commenter @bunnymuffintime, who wrote, “omg… a frambled egg”.
“Didn’t even know this was an option,” another commenter shared underneath the viral clip, which has racked up 1.3 million likes and over 20 million views as of the time of writing.
What does a frambled egg taste like?
It’s more about the texture than the flavour – runny, golden yolk gives way to a creamy scrambled base.
The yolk crisps up a little more than the scrambled part, too, which makes another nice texture contrast.
I had mine on some avocado, but it’s great on its own too; if you want the creaminess of scrambled eggs and the runniness of fried eggs, I can’t recommend it enough.

How do you make a frambled egg?
Add some butter or oil to a pan on a medium to low heat. Full disclosure: I didn’t use enough, which meant the eggs stuck to the pan a bit. Learn from my mistakes!
Then, crack two eggs straight into the hot pan. Don’t scramble them first.
Using a spatula, scramble the whites and one yolk carefully around the yolk of one egg. Drag the cooking egg away from the sides of the yolk you want to keep, using the flat edge of your spatula.


Flip that yolk halfway through, Kait, the inventor of the recipe, suggested.
I did try to skip that because the yolk is so delicate, but it’s a necessary step; unlike a fried egg, “frambled eggs” don’t have long to cook, because the scrambled part would become rubbery if left too long.
She adds salt and pepper at the very end. I put it in at the beginning, but I can’t see it making much difference.
Politics
Virgin River Star Claims Motorbike Sex Scene Left Him In Pain
This article contains spoilers for the new season of Virgin River.
If you’ve already binged through the latest season of Virgin River, you’ll have seen the show’s steamiest scene yet between Brady and Brie, played by Ben Hollingsworth and Zibby Allen.
The memorable sequence towards the end of the new episodes sees Brady and Brie having sex on top of his motorbike, putting an end to two seasons’ worth of back-and-forth about whether the characters would ever get together.
And while the scene has gone down well with fans of the escapist Netflix series, Ben has admitted that shooting it was no picnic.
“The human body is not meant to have sex on a motorcycle,” he told Entertainment Weekly, claiming his “back hurt for weeks” once filming was done.
Ben recalled: “I was arching my back over that thing. Talk about an ab workout … It might’ve translated as pleasure or lust on screen, but Ben Hollingsworth was in pain!”
He added: “There’s an abandon with Brady and Brie that’s raw sexy, unlike Mel and Jack or other couples on the show. The spontaneity is also representational of their relationship. It was spontaneous on day one, and it didn’t add up or make sense on paper. It just works.
“That scene encapsulates that, because we had the pool table in season six, and that was a pretty epic moment, and the way it was pitched to me was, ‘This scene would make the pool table blush’.”
Virgin River has already been commissioned for an eighth season, with the latest run of episodes culminating in Brady having an accident on his motorbike.

While Ben told Entertainment Weekly that he already knows his character, he’s keeping schtum for the time being.
Series regular Tim Matheson recently teased to Tech Radar: “We’ve just had little rough discussions about season eight, so we know vaguely what’s going to happen, but mostly only with our characters.
“I mean, they don’t discuss in detail about what’s going to happen to everybody. You just have to wait and see until you get a script.”
All seven seasons of Virgin River are now streaming on Netflix.
Politics
Iran’s evil empire – spiked
Melanie Phillips – author of Fighting the Hate: A Handbook for Jews Under Siege – returns to The Brendan O’Neill Show. Melanie and Brendan discuss Iran’s decades-long war on the West, the insanity of the ayatollah apologists and why anti-Zionism is indistinguishable from anti-Semitism.
Go to PIAVPN.com/Brendan to get 86 per cent off from our sponsor, Private Internet Access, with four months free!
Join us for the spiked summit, our biggest ever live event, on Saturday 27 June in Westminster featuring Konstantin Kisin, Lionel Shriver, Katharine Birbalsingh, Toby Young, Allison Pearson, Brendan O’Neill, Tom Slater and more speakers to be announced. Get tickets here.
Order your copy of Brendan O’Neill’s new book, ‘Vibe Shift: The Revolt Against Wokeness, Greenism and Technocracy’, on Amazon now.
TWEET:
🎧 📺 THE BRENDAN O’NEILL SHOW 🎧 📺
Iran’s evil empire
@MelanieLatest on why the Islamic Republic must not win the war.
Watch it here 👇
FACEBOOK:
🎧 📺 THE BRENDAN O’NEILL SHOW 🎧 📺
Iran’s evil empire
Melanie Phillips on why the Islamic Republic must not win the war.
Watch it here 👇
YOUTUBE LINK
YOUTUBE:
Melanie Phillips: Iran’s evil empire | The Brendan O’Neill Show
Politics
Israel lobby group smears Holocaust survivors
The so-called ‘Anti-Defamation League’ is one of the US’s most prominent Israel lobby groups, alongside the notorious AIPAC. It says its purpose is to combat antisemitism and bigotry, but its focus is really Israel. And it apparently doesn’t think much of Jews who don’t commit to the racist and murderous ideology of Zionism.
The six million Jews who died in the Holocaust, for example, since ADL boss Jonathan Greenblatt just insulted them all as cowards. Giving a speech about (surprise) how indivisible Jews are from Israel is itself antisemitic, since it connects being Jewish with support for Israel’s crimes. But even more so when you contrast unapologetic support for Israeli imperialism and apartheid with the “trembling knees” of Holocaust victims.
Electronic Intifada’s Ali Abunimah spotted the significance – and the antisemitism:
The phrase “we are not the Jews of trembling knees,” used by @jgreenblattADL, is a vile anti-Semitic trope. It echoes the idea that Jewish holocaust victims were somehow to blame for their own deaths because they were “weak.” This Jew-hatred is deeply embedded in Zionism. https://t.co/hkuLSO1xv5
— Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) March 17, 2026
Zionism is racism. It is also antisemitism.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Trump Blames Starmer For US UK Relations Breakdown
Donald Trump has blamed Keir Starmer for the breakdown in UK-US relations in yet another bizarre rant.
The US president said the two countries got on well “until Keir came along” as he once again hit out at the prime minister’s response to the Iran war.
Trump also repeated his observation that Starmer is “not Winston Churchill” as he pointed at a bust of the wartime leader in the Oval Office.
It is the latest in a succession of attacks on Starmer by the president since America and Israel started bombing Iran more than a fortnight ago.
He has made clear his anger that the PM initially refused his request for American jets to use RAF bases to launch their missions.
Trump has also accused Britain of turning down a request to send two aircraft carriers to the Gulf – a claim which has been denied by senior government sources.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, he said: “We have a tremendous, long-term relationship with the UK. It’s the oldest, the longest. Should be the best. Always was the best until Keir came along.”
He also attacked the Labour government’s policies on immigration and shifting from fossil fuels to green energy.
Asked if he had confidence in the prime minister, Trump said: “It’s not for me, it’s really for the people of the UK to have confidence.
“I mean, I’ve been very critical of Keir – and I did it in a friendly way – I said, if you don’t change your energy thing and get away from windmills and go back to oil and gas.
“You have something that no other country has, very few countries have anything like it: the North Sea.
“You have some of the greatest oil and oil deposits in the entire world. The North Sea, they don’t use it.”
He added: “I think he’s a nice man, but I disagree with him on two things.
“Primarily his immigration policy is a disaster, and his energy policy is a disaster – and they’re about the biggest policies you can have.
“You’ve allowed millions and millions and millions of people to come into your country that shouldn’t be there. And, by the way, that’s all over Europe.
Downing Street has been asked to respond to the president’s latest comments.
Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch has slammed Trump for his “childish” attacks on Starmer.
She said she found Trump’s remarks “quite shocking”.
“I’m Keir Starmer’s biggest critic, I think he does a lot of things wrong, I think on this he’s been quite slow.
“I think it’s quite childish as well, a war of words between the White House and Downing Street.”
-
Tech7 days agoA 1,300-Pound NASA Spacecraft To Re-Enter Earth’s Atmosphere
-
Crypto World4 days agoHYPE Token Enters Net Deflation as HyperCore Buybacks Outpace Staking Rewards
-
Fashion4 days agoWeekend Open Thread: Addict Lip Glow
-
Sports3 days ago
Why Duke and Michigan Are Dead Even Entering Selection Sunday
-
NewsBeat6 days agoResidents reaction as Shildon murder probe enters second day
-
Tech2 days agoYour Legally Registered ‘Motorcycle’ Might Not Count Under Proposed US Law
-
Business2 days agoSearch for Savannah Guthrie’s Mother Enters Seventh Week with No Arrests
-
Business6 days agoSearch Enters Sixth Week With New Leads in Tucson Abduction Case
-
Sports6 days agoPWHL, Senators discussing plan to keep Charge in Ottawa
-
Business3 days agoUS Airports Launch Donation Drives for Unpaid TSA Workers as Partial Government Shutdown Enters Fifth Week
-
Crypto World3 days agoCoinbase and Bybit in Investment Talks: Could Bybit Finally Enter the US Crypto Market?
-
NewsBeat6 days agoI Entered The Manosphere. Nothing Could Prepare Me For What I Found.
-
Tech2 hours agoAre Split Spacebars the Next Big Gaming Keyboard Trend?
-
Business3 days agoCountry star Brantley Gilbert enters growing non-alcoholic beer market
-
Business1 day agoAustralian shares drop as Iran war enters third week
-
Crypto World1 day agoCrypto Lender BlockFills Enters Chapter 11 with Up to $500M in Liabilities
-
Sports4 days agoCollege Basketball Best Bets: Conference Tournament Semifinal Picks
-
Tech7 days agoClarity as strategy
-
Politics7 days agoTrump Says Middle East Is ‘Very Lucky’ That He’s President
-
Crypto World6 days agoThree Binance Charts May Be Hinting at Bitcoin’s Next Move

You must be logged in to post a comment Login