Lede
The empire that once built railways across continents now chants three-word slogans in pub car parks.
What does not make sense
- A nation that sold itself as the cradle of freedom parrots authoritarian chants.
- Brexit promised “our country back” — instead it delivered longer queues and pricier food.
- Elon Musk, once hailed as a visionary, now props up the slogans of a failed generation.
- Far-right rallies rage about religion while ignoring that Christianity and Islam share roots.
- Blaming immigrants while the real rot sits in poor governance and rich men’s greed.
Sense check
- Net migration added 685,000 people in 2023 (ONS) — in a nation of 67 million. That’s one in a hundred, not an “invasion”.
- 18% of NHS staff are foreign-born. Send them back and watch waiting times collapse.
- UK goods exports remain 10% below 2019 levels after Brexit (House of Commons Library).
- Civil liberties shrink not because of migrants, but because voters cheer loud men with empty slogans.
The sketch
- Scene one: A crowd chanting “send them back” in front of a Greggs, holding pints and plastic flags.
- Scene two: Elon Musk on Twitter, retweeting their chants while launching another half-baked rocket.
- Scene three: A nurse in A&E with an accent, holding the system together while the chanters wait six hours for treatment.
What to watch, not the show
- Far-right slogans recycled as “patriotism”.
- The rich selling nationalism as distraction while they cash out.
- Politicians inflating fear instead of fixing policy.
- Crowds that mistake noise for power, until real power is gone.
The Hermit take
The danger isn’t migrants. It’s the mob that hands freedom to madmen.
Keep or toss
Toss the slogans. Keep the freedom.
Sources
- ONS migration data – Net migration to the UK in 2023 was estimated at 685,000 out of a population of 67 million.
Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/bulletins/longterminternationalmigrationprovisional/yearendingdecember2023 - NHS workforce statistics – About 18% of NHS staff are foreign nationals.
Source: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics - Brexit trade impact – UK goods exports were still 10% below 2019 levels by 2023.
Source: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7851/ - Far-right rally context – Sky News report on the Tommy Robinson rally, noting its scale and tone.
Source: https://news.sky.com/story/why-tommy-robinson-rally-was-different-to-any-other-13430517