Britain is fraying at the seams, its once distinctive capacity for respectful disagreement torn apart by the toxic legacy of Brexit. Ten years on from the seismic referendum that reshaped the nation's identity, a profound shift in social and political discourse has taken hold, with the very fabric of British society showing signs of irrevocable strain.
Author and academic Elif Shafak, who has lived in the UK for nearly two decades, paints a stark picture of a country where individuals with differing worldviews can no longer find common ground. Drawing on her own experiences, she recalls a London talk on British identity from almost 20 years ago, where two speakers with opposing views on colonial history in the school curriculum engaged in a heated debate – yet afterwards shook hands and departed for a pint together.
This spirit of respectful disagreement is now largely absent, replaced by a culture of incendiary rhetoric that has led to a worrying rise in political and social violence. Shafak notes that opponents are increasingly viewed as enemies, with the recent conversation she had with a local man who described Westminster as a 'battleground' and labelled anyone voting Labour, Green, or Conservative as 'traitors'. This pervasive sense of conflict is unrelated to international events.
The degradation of language has been a hallmark of this shift, with experts warning that it precedes polarisation and populism. As George Orwell observed in his essay 'Politics and the English Language', the erosion of speech goes hand in hand with a decline in critical thinking and a loss of shared reality.
Consequences are tangible: an art installation in Liverpool dedicated to deceased migrants and refugees was repeatedly vandalised, with perpetrators labelling them 'invaders not refugees'. Research from the University of Michigan, Columbia University, and Stony Brook University in 2023 supports Shafak's argument that broad statements about entire categories of people can intensify divisions, eroding coexistence and social cohesion.
As a British national, Shafak is deeply concerned by the changing perception of terms like 'diversity', 'multiculturalism', and 'pluralism'. She recalls these concepts being used positively, but now observes a narrative suggesting safety lies in 'sameness' – with politics increasingly framed by 'us versus them' divisions.