Britain Is Going to Be a Breeding Ground for More Right-Wing Populism
Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash
Millions are going hungry, and austerity’s on the way
[Ed.: article originally published August 24, 2022, but even more relevant today]
2.4 million had to go a day without food. Over 7 million nearly followed suit. Nearly one out of five families had to fight to feed their kids. This isn’t a story of a war-torn country in the Middle East. This isn’t Syria, Yemen, or Gaza. It’s Britain. A country with a population of 66 million where nearly 1/6 of its people don’t have food security. And these, might I add, are the stats from April. Things, since then, have gotten much worse.
The energy price cap — the ceiling on gas and electricity bills — is forecasted to almost double this week, meaning 54% of British households will be in fuel poverty by October, with even more to follow come the new year. In the midst of all this, Liz Truss, who’s all but certain to become Britain’s next PM later this year, is advocating for tax cuts. Which, put simply, means that an economy that needs a cash injection and higher taxes on corporations to offset the inflation is going to get the exact opposite. It’s the kiss of death from hardline Right-wing economics.
It’s in this climate — one of starvation and helplessness — that Right-wing populism is going to thrive. Liz Truss, a big proponent of Brexit, herself admitted the entire thing was built on lies, xenophobia, and racism — all of which were deliberately constructed. They targeted the anxieties and insecurities many Brits had. Things weren’t the way they used to be. People were getting poorer. Incomes were stagnating. Buying a home was becoming all but impossible. And there was no way out.
So they pinned it on Europe. It was the migrants’ fault. They were the ones coming to Britain to steal British jobs, take their homes, their places in schools, and use up their hospital beds. It was them that was to blame.
And it worked like gold dust.
Which begs the question, who’s next? Who’s going to bear the burden for millions going hungry? For not being able to pay their energy bills? Europe? Done and dusted. But the Left? Quite possibly. The NHS advocate, Guardian reader, #taxtherich tweeter, university intellectual — it’s them and their selfish leftist ideals — the ones which dare to ask for a decent life for all — they’re the ones who are going to be responsible for Britain’s demise.
And for good reason, too. Paint the Left with the same brush you did Europe and you’ll consolidate power for the long run. You’ll, once again, give your base another enemy to stand tall against, another slogan to shout from the rooftops, and a country that’s once again under attack.
And the millions who voted for, and still support, Brexit are only going to be too happy to join the party. The sort of people who voted against the interests of their own country, and later refused to accept responsibility, are exactly the types who are going to be willing to pour gasoline on a raging fire.
It’s going to be the perfect storm. After all, what narrative sells quicker than that of an enemy within?
A narrative that will hold the country hostage while millions continue to go hungry, while poverty continues to spread — all as the populist Right simultaneously continues to turn up the heat. That too in a time where inflation has already hit double digits. In a time where the fiscal response to it is solely going to make things worse — turning Britain into a country where more money is left in the hands of the rich while millions struggle to put pennies together — and by design.
The levels of wealth inequality this is going to create is going to be the final nail in the coffin. That’s what’s going to turn Britain into a demagogue’s utopia. After all, what more could they ask for? Millions who are starving, can’t pay their bills, can’t buy homes, whose wages won’t go up, who are forced to work jobs they hate, who feel they are destined to live out the rest of their lives in poverty and misery.
These are the perfect conditions for hardline narratives to flourish. These are the conditions where the rational parts of our brains stop working. All people will want is an escape, an out — and they’ll do anything and vote for anyone to get it. It’s, at its core, exploitation of the masses. Deliberately let them starve so you can blame someone else for your sins — while making their lives even worse, all so you can repeat the process.