The Illegitimacy of the British Parliament
The problems of Britain are many. The source of many of them are one — the House of Commons
In 2023, Open Society Foundations launched a major poll across 30 countries. A result of that survey that was then deemed “disturbing” by the organisers was the extraordinary revelation that just 57% of those aged between 18 and 35 believed democracy was preferable to other forms of government. It was a survey that has now been corroborated in dramatic fashion.
This week, the British press has responded with alarm at a new study, conducted specifically in the United Kingdom. According to the results, the critical mass threshold has been breached in Britain. Among respondents of the so-called ‘Generation Z’, meaning those between the ages of 13 and 27, a majority of 52% agreed with the following statement:
“The UK would be a better place if a strong leader was in charge who does not have to bother with parliament and elections”
But that is not all. A third of respondents welcomed a takeover of the government by the Armed Forces, while a remarkable 47% agreed with another statement:
“The entire way our society is organised must be radically changed through revolution”
The response of Alex Mahon, Chief Executive of Channel Four, echoed a sentiment that has been repackaged ad nauseam ever since social media first broke the monopoly of state-run media in the United Kingdom:
“There is clear evidence of disengagement from democracy – fuelled by the online pied pipers who wilfully subvert truths – and a growing gender divide that should concern us all”
Mahon expanded with “Gen Z curate their own understanding of ‘the truth’”, and that this is “exacerbating societal tensions”, excluding only an allegation of racism from the by now traditional arsenal deployed to censor opposition within 21st century Britain.
The reasons for this trend are manifold and, contrary to general assumption, stretch far deeper than 2016. So, while we could focus on any of the litany of issues which already dominate public discourse — from interminable economic malaise and unrestricted mass immigration, to relentless attacks on Britain’s heritage at home and the destruction of the country’s diplomatic reputation via the continuous fomenting of war abroad — let us instead consider a far deeper underlying issue, which has been smouldering for centuries and has now visibly caught fire.
That issue is the illegitimacy of Parliament.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to INVICTUS to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.