Welcome to Broken Britain

Welcome to Broken Britain, a shattered nation that is indeed far from a United Kingdom. In a space of a week, we have had a new Head of State King Charles, and a new Prime Minister Liz Truss; all without a single say from the people. Not one vote. Now our period of forced mourning is over, and the clouds on our volatile independent sea are starting to clear what we can now see ahead is concerning, but ultimately certain. Britain isn't United. It is a myth:

"The UK is far from united. Its disunity reveals that the Kingdom is a mystery to itself. Belying standard accounts of nation-statehood, surprisingly little effort has been made to create or sustain a shared state-wide identity or the institutions that might underpin it. "

First it was Leave or Remain, then Tories or Labour, now it's Royalist or Republican. Unfortunately for people like me who see that regardless of what wing it is, it's still the same bird, we are made to feel we need to pick a side. I will not pick a side, I only pick the side of what's best for people - just ordinary people. The only thing we can all seem to agree on at the moment is Britain is a divided nation riding rogue waves of corruption, fascism, and deceit; our captain's lairs and cowards.

What makes it all confusing is that the divisions aren't clear cut, the lines are often blurred. A perfect example of this is Theresa May (former PM), a Tory through and through, but an open remain supporter. I mean how well would you do arguing for a side you don't believe in, and for that, I can respect her, but for her party, I cannot. Now you see the issue, we are divided in many ways, but we are also not.

We are just beginning to deal with a new conversation that is 'Abolish the Monarchy', yet no one was expecting Scottish and Welsh Independence, to make its way to the table. Do you know what's interesting though? I don't blame them, and if Northern Ireland joins the Independence cruise line then I say go for it. It's about time that England stops being seduced by historic anemisa and take responsibility for our historic consequences, and builds better relations with our 'united' neighbours before everything turns sour.

"The problem is that Britain is not a traditional country like France, Germany, or even the United States. “Britain,” here, is shorthand for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland—a collection of nations and territories, combining England, Scotland, Wales, and the disputed land of Northern Ireland—while also being a legitimate, sovereign, and unitary nation-state itself.

The United Kingdom is more than Britain and the British. Some of its citizens believe themselves to be British, while others say they are not British at all; others say they are British and another nationality—Scottish or Welsh, say. In Northern Ireland, it is even more complicated, with some describing themselves as only British while others say they are only Irish."

In Britain we are facing what the media is calling 'the harshest winter' due to the disgusting rise in energy bills, cost of living, fuel, and well, the list goes on. It feels like it's a Never-Ending Story of absolute bulls*** and I'm the f***ing horse, slowly sinking as I accept my inevitable fate.

Trussell Trust a food bank provider has revealed that:

"Food banks in the food charity network provided more than 2.1 million emergency food parcels between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022. Of these, 832,000 were for children. This represents an 81% increase compared to the same period five years ago."

If you are not from the U.K: a food bank is where people go when they don't have the finances to eat. It's shocking that such a thing exists because on the one hand, it's a good thing that there is something like this if you are struggling. Yet, on the other hand, the very existence of a food bank suggests there is a bigger problem that isn't been solved. The saddest thing of it all, some food banks don't have enough donations anymore, and NHS workers have to use them also.

Britain is Broken. Nothing works, and something needs fixing. I tried to offer solutions to our problems in The People's Manifesto: A Unified Defiance. (It's a a skelton draft, but the ideas are there, and I just hope someone reads it). I had the idea to write a manifesto in the name of the people because I want a better world for everyone, myself, my son, my neighbours who I always awkwardly avoid eye contact with - everyone. It always starts with an idea, and that is all it is...

Anyway, take this hard-working lady recently affected by the cost of living crisis:

"This time last year, Sarah (not her real name) was a regular donor to the food bank drop-off point outside her local Sainsbury’s. But in March 2021 she had to stop. Despite working full-time and being on universal credit, the mother of two has for the past few months had to rely on food banks. “I have gone from being an average working-class citizen to somebody who’s in poverty,” said the 44-year-old Londoner.

She is one of a growing number of former donors who, food aid workers report, are now turning to food banks themselves as the soaring cost of living expands the demographic of people struggling to afford food."

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has in addition revealed:

"There are now 27.7 million adults in Britain affected by low financial resilience, poor health or other recent negative life events, up from 24 million in February 2020, a month before the country went into its first lockdown to fight the pandemic. Britain's total population is 67.2 million."

This is 40% of the population of the U.K, how long will it be before it's half? Another division. I thought if I focus on the food banks, it might help you the reader understand the gravity of the situation here. Unfortunately, though, this is just the tip of the iceberg, and guess which ship we are all on? What makes it even worse, is that we do not know how to communicate with one another anymore.

Our behaviour towards one another, (espeically on the roads) the lack of respect, the toxic self-centered attitude that we all indudge in to satisfy our pathetic passively agreesive egos is what makes us a United Kingdom, but will inevertability our ulimate demise. We must change. And it is for when a society is collaspsing the more ridiculous the laws are, and the recent behaviour of the police towards memebers of the public who were just holding pieces of blank paper says there is water coming in fast at the head, and we are surely sinking.

Take this article Will Britain Survive?:

"Brexit has now added a new dimension to these historical tensions. It may well contribute over time to the breaking up of the United Kingdom; only a brave gambler would bet on both Scotland and Northern Ireland still belonging to the UK in 2040.

When Scotland’s new parliament first met in 1999, one of its members was applauded for declaring: “The Scottish Parliament, adjourned on March 25 in the year 1707, is hereby reconvened.”

When the UK voted for Brexit in 2016, Scots divided by almost two to one in favor of staying in the EU. But Scotland was bound by the UK-wide result: it was forced to leave the EU along with England, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

This reopened a debate that seemed to have been settled in 2014, when a Scottish independence referendum resulted in Scots voting by 55 to 45 percent to remain in the UK. It was supposed to be a once-in-a-generation decision that offered Scots continuing membership of both the UK and the EU."

"Many Scots now feel that their only way to rejoin the EU is to break away from the UK. More than ever before, the nationalist and European causes in Scotland have come together—and have been gaining support.

For the first time, polls conducted in 2020 report that a majority of Scots now favor independence from the UK. The rise in support is a direct response to Scotland being forced against its will to leave the EU."

However arguments for 'why the U.K should remain unionised' is as follows:

"British party elites also emphasise issues around risk and division, they adopt a comparatively more positive and developed case for the Union, avoiding broad principles and focusing instead on pragmatic benefits.

"The Union is presented as a common project which benefits Scotland (and Wales) in three ways. Firstly, with historical and contemporaneous achievements, most notably the defeat of fascism and the development of the welfare state, an argument was made by all three Unionist parties. Secondly, found among Labour and the Liberal Democrats, the Union is one of solidarity, allowing for the sharing of risks and resources throughout the UK. And finally, a Conservative argument spoke of the global influence of Scotland within the UK."

I couldn't find a lot on why the UK should remain together. I found way more for calls of separation and Scottish Independence, which speaks volumes, doesn't it? Personally, I think we would all do well if we were to separate, but in a way which means we are united by the land but separate nations that are equals in sovereignty as well as in power.

We are already divided as people, so why not draw up the lines on the map? But don't forget the bridges! We must work together so we can be close to each other as dearest friends, but we must keep enough distance to mind our own business and not tell our beloved friends what they can and can't do. We are all sailing on unchartered waters together and there are enough lifeboats for us all. It's time to face these conversations head-on in our era of the unknown and the unpredictable.

If you liked this piece check out Saying Goodbye to Crown, and Democracy is Dead

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References:

https://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/news-and-opinion/why-stay-together

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-finance-regulator-idUSKBN2AB10R

https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/trussell-trust-sees-81-increase-in-food-bank-usage-across-its-network.html

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/01/the-decade-that-broke-britain-the-disastrous-decisions-that-left-millions-in-a-cost-of-living-crisis

https://ukandeu.ac.uk/long-read/the-possible-break-up-of-the-united-kingdom/

https://www.raconteur.net/healthcare/why-the-nhs-needs-more-than-a-funding-boost-to-tackle-its-challenges/

https://balcproject.org.uk/walk-inn-foodbank/

https://2bm.com/no-deal-brexit/

https://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/83632

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2022/01/will-britain-survive/621095/

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/08/18/commentary/world-commentary/keeping-united-kingdom-united/