The Bunker – News without the nonsense Civil War in Britain – Why the Right is hyping it
10 snips
Jan 15, 2026 
Phil Tinline, journalist and author of *Ghosts of Iron Mountain*, delves into the alarming rhetoric of civil war currently echoed by right-wing figures in the UK. He explores the economic grievances behind this exaggerated fear and warns against conflating genuine public discontent with apocalyptic scenarios. Tinline discusses how social media amplifies these threats and critiques the notion that civil war talk equates to racial conflict. He reflects on historical moments when the UK was on the brink of true civil unrest, underscoring the complexity of current tensions.
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Discontent Isn’t Destiny
- Britain has widespread long-term economic and political dissatisfaction that fuels anger but doesn't automatically produce civil war.
- Phil Tinline warns extrapolating from discontent to inevitable violence ignores strong social inertia and goodwill.
Academic Scenarios Can Be Fictionalised
- David Betts's scenario reads more like dramatic fiction than a plausible step-by-step projection.
- Phil Tinline argues political scientists can over-simplify messy realities by averaging foreign cases into neat models.
Fear As A Political Tool
- Talk of impending civil war is politically useful because fear of an intolerable outcome reshapes consensus.
- Tinline explains 'contest of nightmares' lets extremes challenge existing political settlements.
