Clergyman who linked the clap for Captain Sir Tom Moore to 'white British nationalism' investigated

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Gabriella Swerling
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FILE PHOTO: British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore, 99, does up his tie as he sits on a bench in the village of Marston Moretaine, 50 miles north of London, on April 16, 2020. - A 99-year-old British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore on April 16 completed 100 laps of his garden in a fundraising challenge for healthcare staff that has "captured the heart of the nation", raising more than £13 million ($16.2 million, 14.9 million euros). "Incredible and now words fail me," Captain Moore said, after finishing the laps of his 25-metre (82-foot) garden with his walking frame.  - JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images
FILE PHOTO: British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore, 99, does up his tie as he sits on a bench in the village of Marston Moretaine, 50 miles north of London, on April 16, 2020. - A 99-year-old British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore on April 16 completed 100 laps of his garden in a fundraising challenge for healthcare staff that has "captured the heart of the nation", raising more than £13 million ($16.2 million, 14.9 million euros). "Incredible and now words fail me," Captain Moore said, after finishing the laps of his 25-metre (82-foot) garden with his walking frame. - JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

A clergyman who described the clap for Captain Sir Tom Moore as the “cult of white British nationalism” is being investigated by Church of England officials.

The World War Two veteran, Captain Sir Tom Moore, raised £32 million for the NHS during the UK's first national lockdown by walking 1,000 laps in his garden with his walking frame.

Following the centenarian’s death on Tuesday, people across the country took part in a national clap to commemorate his life and fundraising achievements.

However, a London-based Reverend has been criticised for his “unacceptable, insensitive, and ill-judged" behaviour after criticising the late veteran in remarks on social media which have since prompted an internal investigation.

In a now-deleted tweet which sparked a fierce backlash online, Jarel Robinson-Brown, 29, wrote: "The cult of Captain Tom is a cult of White British Nationalism.

“I will offer prayers for the repose of his kind and generous soul, but I will not be joining the 'National Clap'."

Rev Robinson-Brown, who was last month appointed to serve in the parish of All Hallows'-by-the-Tower, the oldest church in the City of London, subsequently offered "an unreserved apology for the insensitive timing and content of my tweet regarding the clap for Captain Tom".

He also deleted his Twitter account.

He added that he has now read and would sign the Church of England's Digital Charter, a voluntary pledge that the clergy is encouraged to adhere to in order to "help make social media and the web more widely positive places for conversations to happen".

Responding to the incident regarding Rev Robinson-Brown, who is black, and who has since been the subject of racist abuse online, a spokesperson for the Diocese of London said: "Jarel Robinson-Brown's comments regarding Captain Sir Tom Moore were unacceptable, insensitive, and ill-judged.

"The fact that he immediately removed his tweet and subsequently apologised does not undo the hurt he has caused, not least to Captain Tom's family. Nor do Jarel's actions justify the racist abuse he is now receiving."

The statement confirmed an investigation was underway, led by the Archdeacon of London, and added: "As a Church, we expect clergy to ensure that all online activity is in line with the Church of England's social media guidelines and built on truth, kindness and sensitivity to others."

After contracting Covid-19, Captain Sir Tom Moore died in Bedford Hospital on Tuesday morning aged 100, prompting outpouring of tributes, including from the head of the Church of England, Archbishop of Canterbury, who described veteran as "the very best of us", adding, "where he walked a nation followed".

On Wednesday night people across the country took part in a national clap to commemorate the centenarian's life and fundraising achievements, with members of the public standing on their doorsteps and balconies and leaning out of their windows to express their thanks.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had called for the nationwide clap, also applauded on the steps of 10 Downing Street alongside his fiancée Carrie Symonds.

The veteran’s family said that they were "incredibly touched" by the nationwide gesture.

Rev Robinson-Brown, a former Methodist minister and chaplain at King’s College London (KCL), converted to Anglicanism and is currently training to become a priest in the Church of England.

He was appointed to his current role as a curate last month by the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Dame Sarah Mullally.

According to his KCL profile, Rev Robinson-Brown studied classical music as a pianist and organist at the London College of Music, and privately in Paris. He lists his interests as: history, Late Antique Egypt, queer theology, and liberation theology.

He is a prominent gay activist and author of the book, Black, Gay, British, Christian, Queer: Church and The Famine of Grace.

In previous social media posts, Rev Robinson-Brown has criticised “ignorant White Christian men” as the debate intensifies over LGBTQ+ rights within the Church of England.

Following his criticism of the clap for Captain Sir Tom Moore, more than 6,500 people have signed a Change.org petition calling on the Church of England to remove Rev Robinson-Brown from his post “on the basis he is a divisive and damaging figure that has insulted the memory of a national treasure and true hero of this country”.

The petition adds that the reverend’s tweet was “extremely offensive and damaging not just to Sir Tom, who raised tens of millions for the NHS benefiting ALL races and creeds in the UK and served his country during the war, but an insult to millions of generous people in the UK who supported his cause”.

“I call on the Church of England to remove him from his post [and] such outbursts are not helping community cohesion.”

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