Extremism is not the answer

The scenes of thousands of people lining the streets of London, as part of the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march, have dominated front pages since the weekend and, as my inbox shows, caused anxiety and despair amongst constituents. This was one of the largest demonstrations since the Brexit marches nearly a decade ago, with people from across the country feeling emboldened to take to the streets under the guise of patriotism.

As a liberal, I believe the right to protest is a human right that should be protected for all who wish to legitimately and safely express a view. It is a key principle of a democratic society, and I have huge respect for the police officers who do vital work in facilitating protest, preventing escalation and protecting the public from harm. I wish those police officers injured over the weekend a speedy recovery.

Jess in Parliament

The general mood of the country feels fractious and frustrated, and I recognise that many constituents feel the groups organising these marches are representing their voices. But they should make no mistake, those frustrations are amplified and stirred up by actors for whom civil unrest serves only their own interests. The far-right activist Tommy Robinson, a convicted violent offender, was the man behind the London march and has, over many years, shown no concern for the livelihoods of citizens of the United Kingdom, no commitment to upholding British values and no understanding of British history.

Elon Musk addressed the crowds via video link, declaring, ‘violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die.’ The Tesla and X owner, speaking from behind a screen across the Atlantic, represents a reckless and dangerous assault on our values, which are underpinned by debate and the rule of law. Deliberately spreading misinformation and encouraging violence is what we have come to expect from Musk, who is all too willing to use his platform and his wealth to stoke fear and division.

Why does Musk benefit from this assault on our democracy? You need only scroll through X (formerly Twitter) for a minute to find misinformation, anger or outright lunacy. His intervention fuels a self-fulfilling cycle of extremism, drawing people into believing that the challenges they face in their lives can be solved by blaming minorities and the vulnerable. The majority of those who marched on Saturday were ordinary people, wholly disillusioned with politics and society and we must do more to show them that extremism is not the way forward.

This government urgently needs to create an environment for growth for all or the far right will continue to prey upon the disillusioned. The only winners then will be people like Musk and Robinson.