IdentityInMotion

I’m not “left” or “right.”
I’m stuck in the uncomfortable middle — forced to watch as British politics accelerates past reason and accelerates division. And frankly, it feels like our leaders aren’t just losing control — they’re fueling the fire.

Britain is More Divided Than Ever

You’ve probably felt it — that sense that we’re not just disagreeing anymore, we’re hostile. According to recent polling, a staggering 85% of Britons believe the country is divided, and over half think political disagreement is dangerous to society.

This isn’t just “a feeling” — this is a reality backed by data.

Even research by the Policy Institute at King’s College London shows that a record number of people now say the UK feels divided — up from 74% in 2020 to 84% today — and more than two-thirds believe culture wars are tearing us apart.

This isn’t a healthy debate. It’s a fracture.

Polarisation Isn’t Just About Opinions — It’s About Identity

Political scientists describe what’s happening as affective polarisation — where people hate the people on the other side, even if they don’t entirely disagree on the policies themselves.

We used to have debates about things like taxes, public services, the NHS, and immigration in a serious civic context. Now it’s often tribal:

• “You’re immoral.”
• “You’re a threat.”
• “You’re un-British.”

That’s not politics — that’s social warfare.

Government Policies That Inflate Tension, Not Resolve It

Whether you lean left, right, or somewhere in between, there’s a painful truth: UK government choices have often magnified division rather than healed it.

Take immigration — a subject that consistently drives polarised debate. Hardline proposals such as “deportation forces” and rhetoric describing irregular migration as an “invasion” aren’t fringe anymore; they’re being discussed in mainstream platforms.

Meanwhile, decades-old policies like the hostile environment — meant to deter irregular migrants — have ended up wrongly detaining and deporting British citizens and disproportionately impacting racialised communities, fostering resentment and distrust.

This isn’t just politics — it’s a lived consequence.

Traditional Parties Are Losing Ground — And That’s Not a Good Sign

Recent election outcomes show political loyalty in freefall. In a by-election, the ruling party finished third, while insurgent parties on both the left and the right surged, signalling a breakdown in the traditional system.

Green and Reform UK — both drawing from different ends of the spectrum — are capitalising on people who feel let down by centrism, establishment politics, or what they see as stagnation.

This is not just a protest vote — it’s a signal that middle ground politics are evaporating.

Why the Middle Feels Insecure

I see it clearly:

• We’re told to pick a team.
• We’re told disagreement equals disloyalty.
• We’re told “centre” is weak.
• We’re told “extremes understand us.”

But extremes don’t seek solutions — they seek dominance.
And that’s dangerous.

When half the country genuinely believes the other half is a threat — not just wrong — you’re no longer debating policy. You’re undermining social cohesion itself.

This Is About More Than Politics — It’s About Humanity

I find myself forced to watch as both sides weaponise fear:

• Fear of cultural change.
• Fear of economic insecurity.
• Fear of immigrants.
• Fear of progress.
• Fear of being left behind.

And we’ve all been told that choosing a non-tribal path — a nuanced one — is naive.

Maybe it’s not naive — maybe it’s the only sane option left.

What Britain Really Needs

Britain doesn’t need more shouting.
Britain doesn’t need more enemies.
Britain doesn’t need more division.

We need:

✔ Recognition that politics should serve citizens, not use them as fuel.
✔ Leadership that seeks solutions, not enemies.
✔ A society that argues passionately but still sees fellow humans on the other side.

I’m not here to sell you left or right.
I’m here to say:
What we’re living through isn’t healthy — and until we confront the division, we’ll keep sliding further apart.

And that concerns me more than any political label ever could.