In the aftermath of the largest far-right rally in British history, a sense of deja vu has gripped many. Over 100,000 people marched through London chanting “send them back”, evoking memories of the 1970s and the era of Enoch Powell and the National Front. But unlike those days, racism is no longer a furtive guilt; it is brazen and normalised.
The prime minister’s response has been criticised as cowardly. After migrants were burned out of their homes in Northern Ireland and a mosque petrol-bombed, Keir Starmer’s first words deplored attacks on police, with only a vague promise of safety for Muslims. Similarly, after last summer’s riots, the focus was on law-breaking, not the prejudice that fuelled the violence.
Starmer has been accused of pandering to the far right. When Nigel Farage promised mass deportation of asylum seekers, even if it meant handing Afghan women to the Taliban, Downing Street did not condemn the language. Instead, Labour ran an advert boasting of removing over 35,000 people from the UK, effectively competing with Reform UK on immigration.
Labour insiders insist they are not racist, but critics argue impact matters more than intention. By adopting tough rhetoric on migration – calling it a “squalid chapter” causing “incalculable” damage – Starmer is dabbling in the politics of hatred to gain poll points. Meanwhile, the government expresses concern about extremist marches to left-leaning media while telling others that free speech is alive and well.
Anti-fascist campaigners note that only one in 10 Britons is outright opposed to immigration, yet the political narrative fuels division. The real victims, they warn, are those far from power who will suffer most from this normalisation of prejudice.
