Introduction: What it means to be broken
“Everywhere you look – from the cost of living crisis to the NHS or the asylum system – things are broken.”
— Keir Starmer, Labour Party, 2023
”To a lot of the public, it seems as if the country is falling apart.”
— Kate Andrews, The Spectator, 2023
In 2024, the prevailing narrative of "Broken Britain" continues to echo through the corridors of political and social dialogue. and Kate Andrews, a noted conservative voice from Keir Starmer, exemplifying the left as the leader of the Labour Party, and Kate Andrews, a prominent conservative commentator from The Spectator, both articulate a profound sense of societal decay and dysfunction. This consensus spans the political spectrum, highlighting a rare moment of agreement across ideological divides on the state of systemic shortcomings.
This perception of decline is firmly rooted in grim economic truths. According to a 2023 Ipsos survey for the Evening Standard, an overwhelming 76% of Britons perceive the country as on a downward spiral, up from 71% during the 2008 financial crisis.
Authoritative economic data corroborates these sentiments. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasted a shrinkage of the UK's economy in 2023, setting it apart from the growth trends of other significant economies. The UK's economic landscape further darkened in February 2024 when it was announced that the economy had fallen into recession.
Comparatively, the IMF's 2024 growth forecast for the UK is a modest 0.6% lagging significantly behind other G7 economies. These economic signs, together with the public mood, sketch a bleak tableau of the UK in 2024, suggesting a phase of economic turmoil and a deep-rooted feeling of systemic regression.
The Conservative Party's 2010 "Broken Britain" campaign, which aimed to address crime, welfare, and immigration issues, has seen its promise of rejuvenation go unmet, with the situation seemingly worsening.
Increased social unrest, amplified calls for Scottish Independence and Irish reunification, and a diminished global stature have characterized the ensuing years. Brexit, once seen as a cure-all, now represents a divisive force, costing the economy approximately £100 billion annually and leaving it about 5% smaller than if it had remained within the EU.
This volume aims to unravel the seven pivotal beliefs that have steered modern Britain towards its current state of decline. Spanning history, psychology, and economics, these ideologies have underpinned policy-making and national decision-making, contributing to the UK's struggle to navigate the global shifts.
From exalting the union to the just world fallacy, enduring class divides, the allure of Neoliberal Economics, anti-immigration stances, the spectre of Cultural Marxism conspiracy theories, and British Exceptionalism—each has played a role in compounding Britain's current predicaments and the creation of a new political movement known as National Conservatism.
The chapters ahead will delve into these beliefs, examining their origins, societal and political impacts, and their role in the nation's downward trajectory. By confronting these uncomfortable truths and challenging the dominant narratives, we aspire to foster a more nuanced and critical conversation on Britain's future direction.