Let’s try and get a sense of proportion, but without getting complacent: fewer than one in 500 of us marched in London on Saturday; 499 didn’t – and that despite it being the most media-advertised march in years. Why the media wanted to give a fascist-organised march oxygen is a question that should be addressed in a public inquiry. It’s not enough that Davey and Starmer condemned the violence (which was actually pretty well managed by the police and a great deal less than those who support the far right wanted) they also need to talk about who is financing this damaging crap and why. Who benefits?
Fascism thrives on street violence. It gives it the excuse to crack down on its opponents from the far left to the centre right with screams of “law and order”, while they actually dismantle the real institutions of law and order and replace them with authoritarian one party control over the State.
We see it in action in the US and we see Elon Musk inciting insurrection in the UK via X and video link to his criminal street thug pal, Tommy Robinson. Putin is still rejoicing that he (and Musk) helped to weaken the EU by taking the UK out, and for sure Putin benefits by stoking the myth promoted by fascists that the UK is imploding.
The estimated numbers marching in reality represent the political march of Reform UK (the party to the right of the Right) into mainstream politics, by ruthlessly and endlessly exploiting the modest issue of undocumented immigration and making it seem like the only burning political issue of the century. Farage has always been a wrecker, from his lazy days undermining the EU as its worst MEP to undermining Parliament now as its worst MP. He hasn’t changed at all. He is still the same contemptible Moselyite extremist he always was, singing antisemitic Nazi songs as a despised, militaristic, public schoolboy [something he has denied…].
It isn’t actually that hard to reduce and contain fascism, but it requires clear-eyed, confrontational leadership from all the parties from progressive left to centre right to get to grips with the deteriorated social conditions that allow these wreckers purchase, and to unify in exposing them for the grifting, divisive, racist chancers they are.
It should not have to fall on the shoulders of a handful of liberal Guardian journalists to point out the threat these folk pose. It should be broadcast far and wide by the vast majority of us, by all the media, and by all our politicians, from dyed-in-the-wool conservatives to progressive parliamentary socialists and everything in-between.
That is still the vast majority of us and don’t let the cynical drum beat of fascist wreckers muddy the water to sell us their disgusting narrative.