What could be more extremist, in the UK, than its own government?
Michael Gove: it seems this is the face of fascist extremism in the UK.
Leaked documents tell us that officials working for Michael Gove are planning to broaden the definition of extremism to include anyone who “undermines” the country’s institutions and its values.
But who defines the country’s institutions and values? The government, I would say.
So this is a plan to criminalise anybody who protests against the behaviour of the government.
I would say that was a bit… you know… fascist. Wouldn’t you?
According to The Guardian,
The documents state: “Extremism is the promotion or advancement of any ideology which aims to overturn or undermine the UK’s system of parliamentary democracy, its institutions and values.”
But the UK’s system is likely to fall out of date and require constant revision, so this definition is – or should be – useless.
The proposed definition … lists a number of organisations which it considers would be “captured” by the new definition.
Among them are the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), Palestine Action and Mend (Muslim Engagement and Development), which has featured at some Conservative party conference fringe events and in 2021 provided evidence to parliamentary committees.
Also among them, by his own definition, is economist Richard Murphy, who has written a lengthy ‘X’ thread on the subject. Here it is (I did the work on this before realising he’s collected it all into a web article himself but this gives me a chance to comment on parts of it):
The Government has apparently drawn up plans to broaden the definition of extremism to include anyone who “undermines” the country’s institutions and its values.
I do that.
Should I be worried? A thread….
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
The UK is failing so badly that there is, in fact, almost no institution of government within it that I am convinced should survive as it is now.
Let's start with the constitution, and the fact that we have not got one. I am incredibly keen on that changing.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
He’s saying the UK’s institutions are not fit for purpose and therefore require reform – that would be prohibited by Gove’s planning legislation.
Personally, This Writer would oppose an extensive written constitution. Such documents limit our rights to what they describe. One saying that we can do anything other than what is prohibited by democratically-passed laws might be acceptable, providing those laws were subject to periodic review.
I am not too keen on just one church having a formal role in parliament. Or, in fact, any church or faith having that role. So the bishops should be gone from the Lords as well.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
I'd also end 'the crown prerogative' that gives the UK's prime minister unaccountable power. That should simply not happen in a democracy.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
These seem reasonable to me; I guess I’m a terrible subversive too.
And just for the record, I'd like to honour international law on things like human rights, the rule of law, refugees and asylum seeking and also on the laws regulating war. I think the world might be a better place if we did all those things.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
I am not keen on a Bill of Rights – because I have seen what the Tory government would do with it. Tories would ensure that the rest of us were only allowed to do what’s necessary to make them richer and increase their freedoms. No – thank you.
For the same reason, I'm keen on extending the duty to perform that our government is now so keen on imposing on state employees to the functions of the state itself. I'd like a statutory right to health care, education, social care and justice when, right now, all are failing.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
I'd love an economy that works. But that means abolishing the role of the Bank of England within it, whose sole function is to keep inflation low whatever the cost to ordinary people, and all in the interests of protecting the value of debts owed to banks and the wealthy.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
And since we're only capable of delivering all of which we are capable if everyone is at work in well-paid employment, that should be the goal of economic policy, laid down in law. The idea that beating inflation is our national priority has to go.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
What else is there? Well, let's recognise the fact that we're a supposedly United Kingdom by recognising the right of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to leave it if they wish rather than have England impose their will on them. There's nothing united about that.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
There’s nothing objectionable here – or shouldn’t be. Why would an advanced, enlightened democracy want to restrict our freedoms?
That, though, might require some serious contrition for past errors of the colonial era, for which proper apologies would have to be given. A real commitment to development might be some indication of that. Savings in aircraft carriers might help that.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
Education, healthcare, social care and so much else should not be run by outsourced agencies competing for resources, each pretending that it is meeting the needs of its customers – as HM Revenue & Customs calls taxpayers – in the sector in which they work.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
The state is a not-for-profit institution that cannot fail without major harm resulting. Let's not pretend otherwise, which is what is happening now. If you set up organisations on a false premise – which most of our state sector is – then of course they will fail.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
This is all right on-the-button. The state is not a private company.
And what else would I change? The libel laws, which are designed to prevent free speech in this country.
And I would require that British paper and media companies were British owned – and not under the control of a single person or group of people.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
I think everybody knows I agree that the libel laws are not fit for purpose.
I also agree about British media firms – indeed, any firm that influences the lives of many people should be owned by people who live in the UK.
I could go on, I am sure. But my point is this. Is wanting such reform extremist, because there is not much left untouched by this agenda – which I think most people might agree with it in reasonable part (OK, the monarchy aside)? And if so, why?
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
Being white will save me from her like, for now.
But will it forever?
I wish I was that confident.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 5, 2023
While the changes are being drafted by Michael Gove’s people, they would be enforced by Suella Braverman’s Home Office, so Mr Murphy is right to name-check her.
And yes, we all know that her attitude to reform is biased against people on the basis of their ethnicity.
That’s extreme in itself.
So it seems the best that can be said of this Gove/Braverman ‘reform’ is that it is symbolic of the very extremism it claims to oppose.
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Almost all MPs in Parliament and those in the ‘upper house’ are criminals of the worst, they belong in prison, or locked in a mental institution! They do not serve Britain or the British people! They are all traitors! Just check out who is bribing them!
“undermine the UK’s system of parliamentary democracy,”… Erm, that would be the Tories… And StarmerLabour (sic[k])…. What a wonderful world.
I would have said that according to this definition both the Conservative and Labour parties qualify as “extremist”. From the government guidance to schools explaining British values… “an understanding that the freedom to hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law, an acceptance that people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour, an understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting (sic) discrimination.
I would posit that currently both those parties are currently seeking to subvert or overturn those values, even before we start looking at organisations such as UKIP, Reform or the CPA.
Fascist tories will have to move swiftly if they want to enshrine in law this: ‘ the definition of extremism to include anyone who “undermines” the country’s institutions and its values.’ There will be a general election some time next year and fascist tories might be replaced with fascist labour boys!
We know country’s institutions and values are those of a corporate business mindset wherein profit is central and democracy doesn’t exist!