Extremists from the fringes of the Left and Right are joining forces to threaten the core values of British democracy
The hard-Left and the hard-Right have more in common than might be imagined. The mainstream must unite to defeat the politics of the extremes once and for all.
The devastation taking place in the Middle East right now is nothing short of horrifying. Hamas’s onslaught of Israeli citizens on October 7 last year, including of women and babies, spoke to an inner human emotion among many of us as to how someone, or some people in a group (in this case), could attack people in such a despicable manner. How was that even possible? The words to describe those events are difficult to find, for they seem difficult to contemplate that that is what occurred. But the horror is all too real. Equally as startling is what is happening in Gaza. Israel had (and still has) a right to self-defence following October 7 but, as world leaders made clear to Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government, this did not mean or equate to the paramount loss of civilian life in Gaza. That sounds rather hollow now, especially as Netanyahu now seems intent on launching a ground offensive in Rafah, where more than one million Palestinians reside, the consequences of which would be nothing short of disastrous in relation to the protection of human life and the objective of preventing civilian casualties.
What has stemmed from the conflict in the Middle East is also worrying, notably in our own country but not exclusively to it. Of course it is on no scale compared with what is happening in the Middle East; there, we are talking, in literal terms, about life versus death, and for Israelis and Palestinians alike, the latter has tragically become much more commonplace than the former. But, even though it is a relatively minor debate here when compared with the events in the Middle East since last October, what is happening in our own country nonetheless warrants attention.
Since October, it is evidently clear that the fundamentals of British democracy have changed — and not for the better. As I have recalled many times on these pages, the tagline of the “Mother of all Parliaments” is not merely used as a description for the Houses of Parliament for no reason; it is used because of the parliamentary democracy of the British democratic system, and its long-standing status as such.
But even this most historic of legislatures, as the symbol of British democracy, faces challenges, and since October 7 they have been highlighted much more potently. What we have seen is rather clear from my perspective: as public interest and debate in the Middle East has grown (which is good for free expression, of course), at the same time the level of extreme narratives from either side of the ideological spectrum has risen highly when, despite my belief that public participation must be encouraged vociferously in our democratic process, we need focus and calmness on the issue(s) at hand.
On the one side stands the hard-Left. So vocal are they that what happened on October 7 was somehow an event designed and whipped up by Netanyahu and his government. So ignorant are they of what is happening to a section of people in this country — I refer to British Jews — thanks to their actions of intimidation. So happy are they to stand in support of a proscribed terrorist group like Hamas. So happy are they that they threaten MPs, councillors and elected representatives, to which, when questioned as to whether this is appropriate, they shrug their shoulders and proclaim that they deserve it.
On the other side sits the hard-Right. So keen are they on whipping up hate against British Muslims for what happened on October 7 that they openly conflate a proscribed terrorist group like Hamas and citizens for whom Hamas’s actions are equally as repugnant. So vocal to cite concerns about anti-Semitic bile merely — and only — to incite Islamophobia and hate against the Muslim community. So content to weaponise one religious community to spew hatred onto another.
Let us be clear: the hard-Left and the hard-Right are two sides of the same coin and have much more in common than was once imagined. They both indulge in blatant conspiracy theories, for which there is no rational explanation or reason, and openly indulge in vitriol towards one community or another.
On the steps of Downing Street yesterday evening, in a rather uncommon address to the nation, the Prime Minister’s remarks were pertinent. This column will testify to my varied disagreements with Rishi Sunak and the party of which he is leader. Although the premise of the Prime Minister’s arguments this evening became somewhat flawed when faced with the inflammatory remarks of some in his party over the past week, namely Lee Anderson, the general basis upon which he made his statement was accurate. These people, Left and Right, are a threat to British democracy and the core values that make it, and the country as a whole, great.
These threats to our democratic systems are not wholly unique. The Brexit impasse in Westminster saw threats and intimidation against MPs reach an all-time low. Now it feels all too similar; the threat on all sides, it seems, is not going away. MPs are stepping down because of intimidation, they are installing panic alarms in their homes, and no longer feel safe doing the job they love. Time for the middle-ground of British politics, which encompasses many parties and people, to put aside differences and unite to defeat the politics of the extremes of both the Left and Right who pursue two simple goals: to divide and drive this country apart, and to tear up the things that made, and still make, Britain a truly successful nation and people.