Free thinking. Straight talking. Explore more opinion from the nation’s leading comment writers. | | Lisa Markwell Head of Long Reads | We started our investigation into what looked like a pandemic-obsessed cult after the mysterious death of Leslie Lee III, an American podcaster who passionately advocated for the continued use of masks and social distancing, long after such measures were wound down.
Mattha Busby started looking for other “zero Covid” zealots and discovered a committed community, including Alyson Hardwick, who warns people on social media that those not wearing masks in public are either going to “die early or become disabled by Covid”. | Alyson Hardwick wearing a respirator mask in her home in Toronto | Then there’s a group in Germany that holds dances for mask wearers, involving no more than 30 at a time, in a room with vigorous air filtering.
What drives them to distance themselves from friends, family and the world of work, and to consider us selfish? Is there any legitimate reason to continue wearing masks against an infection the rest of us have accepted as a low-level risk at worst? Our feature explores their rationale and their state of mind.
Continue reading ➤ |  | Madeleine Ross Money Reporter | Councils have spent more than £900m of taxpayers’ money buying back Right to Buy homes to plug social housing shortfalls, a Telegraph investigation has found.
In a startling indictment of Britain’s failure to build homes at the same pace as selling them off, local authorities have paid up to 88 times more than the properties were originally sold for, a Freedom of Information request revealed. The scheme, introduced in 1980 under Margaret Thatcher, until recently allowed council tenants the right to purchase their homes at a discount of up to 70 per cent – and now taxpayers are paying the price.
Continue reading ➤ | | William Sitwell The rise in swearing and its increasingly universal acceptance is a depressing symbol of our times Continue reading ➤ Zoe Strimpel We need a Churchill to tackle our gravest problems. Instead we have Starmer Continue reading ➤ Jonathan Ferguson The military is looking for a new rifle. It must get it right this time Continue reading ➤ | Get the full experience. Unlock our award-winning website, app and newsletters. | | Religion has not been something routinely embraced by modern politicians in Britain, but could that be about to change? A group of Reform Christians held what, on the surface, appeared to be a traditional service of lessons and carols. However, as they warned against inclusive Nativity scenes, this crusade may be less about salvation, and more a fierce political weapon as we’ve seen deployed in the US. Continue reading ➤ | | | With Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s departure, this year’s Strictly Come Dancing finale marked the end of an era. The BBC needs to future-proof the show by choosing its new presenters wisely, attracting higher-calibre celebrities and finding a way to stay clear of further scandal. If it fails, could this be the beginning of the end? Anita Singh, Arts and Entertainment Editor, gives her verdict. Continue reading ➤ | | | Volodymyr Zelensky had a brush with death earlier this month. Drones were near the presidential jet’s flight path, but they were spotted by an Irish patrol vessel. This turned out to be a stroke of good luck, as Ireland has no radar to detect threats in its airspace. Dublin will assume the presidency of the European Union in 2026, but the question is now being asked: can the country be trusted to handle security? Continue reading ➤ | | | Bank transfers, stolen photos, too-good-to-be-true discounts – ’tis the season when scammers delight in targeting those planning their ski holidays. Abigail Butcher asks the experts to share the red flags that skiers should watch out for when booking their chalets and the steps to take to reduce the chance of falling victim. Continue reading ➤ | | | Despite global and economic turmoil, 2025 is going to be remembered as a solid year for investors. Here, Telegraph Money’s investment column Questor analyses the year’s best and worst performers to see what trends are worth following in 2026 and what needs to be left on the scrapheap. Continue reading ➤ - Christmas can be difficult for those with estranged family members. Psychotherapist Dr Becca Bland has helped thousands in tricky situations like these and is offering some advice.
- If making turkey gravy from scratch is too much of a hassle, these are best and worst supermarket offerings, faithfully tried and tested by Xanthe Clay.
| | Style, as our fashion team reminds us in this year’s best dressed list, is not about chasing trends so much as knowing who you are, and dressing accordingly.
From the quiet authority of Joan Burstein, still shopping for the “coolest items” weeks shy of her 100th birthday, to the playful experimentation of Simone Ashley and Ncuti Gatwa, these are the figures who made clothes work harder in 2025. There are familiar faces – David Hockney in his vivid checks, Kristin Scott Thomas exhibiting perfectly judged restraint – and some newer ones, from Harriet Sperling’s polished ease to Bukayo Saka’s increasingly assured off-pitch wardrobe.
Royals, artists, actors, designers and sports stars all feature, united less by labels than by confidence and consistency. Read it not as a diktat on what to wear, but as a reminder that personal style, at its best, is expressive, characterful and meant to be enjoyed.
See the full list here ➤ | Get stuffed Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal Reader Correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
The Letters page is in full festive swing, with a culinary question at the top of the agenda. Namely: what’s the best stuffing for turkey? Having been raised vegetarian, it was only relatively recently that I began to grapple with the annual challenge of making this bird actually taste of something. I’m not sure I’ve cracked it yet – so have been studying Telegraph readers’ tips.
Andrew Nicoll writes: “My family traditionally stuffs the turkey with haggis. It is a profoundly satisfying and successful combination that young and old have appreciated over years of Christmas feasting. Nevertheless, I would prefer goose to turkey if there were only four at the table.”
Avril Wright advises: “The best stuffing for the neck is old-fashioned forcemeat, with breadcrumbs, suet (or butter), chopped fresh parsley and thyme, an egg, lemon zest and a pinch of mixed herbs. Variations can include a splash of vermouth, but never sage. This herb, in Leicestershire, was exclusively used as a stuffing (with onion) for roast pork. In the body of the bird, we make Katie Stewart’s sausage and chestnut stuffing, which uses a pinch of mixed spice – a nod to medieval concoctions.”
Sheila Sillick looks elsewhere for inspiration. “At this time of year,” she writes, “I turn to a 50-year-old cutting from The Sunday Telegraph, to reacquaint myself with a recipe by Marika Hanbury-Tennison, who was the newspaper’s cookery editor at the time. The recipe is for a vegetable stuffing for turkey – her idea being that the finely shredded vegetables steam inside the bird and keep the breast moist. The minced giblets can be included if desired. I’ve made it every Christmas since, and it is truly delicious.” What's your secret? Send your responses here, and the most appetising will feature in a future edition of From the Editor PM, for which you can sign up here.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. | | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was NAMECHECK. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here. | |
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