British voters have always been deeply suspicious of extremist politics, treating rabble rousers of the far-Left and far-Right with similar disdain.
The same cannot be said of mainland Europe, where many major countries have succumbed to authoritarian regimes of one stripe or the other within living memory.
Today, across the continent, extremism is on the rise again. Discontent over mass migration, high taxes, and the headlong charge towards Net Zero has seen huge electoral gains for the hard-Right.
In France, Marine Le Pen‘s National Rally won 33 per cent of the vote in the country’s parliamentary elections and consigned President Macron‘s centrist Renaissance party to a humiliating third place.
Her victory follows rightward surges in Italy, Germany, and Sweden, among others. The common factor is that people feel ignored by the liberal elites which have traditionally run their countries.
They have been particularly disturbed by the huge and continuing influx of migrants and feel their nations are being irrevocably transformed without their consent.
Many in this country feel the same way. So, could there be a similar lurch to the Right here? If Labour wins power on Thursday, Home Secretary James Cleverly believes there could.
The Tories are not in a strong position to preach, having let annual legal net migration soar to 675,000 and failing to stop the small boats. But at least they are trying to do something about it, unlike Labour, who seem relaxed about numbers coming in.
The UK population has increased by 10million since Tony Blair was elected in 1997. At current migration levels, it is forecast to rise by another 6.1million by 2036 – with all the pressures that will bring on housing, schools, transport, and the NHS.
Yes, the British are an innately fair, tolerant, and hospitable people. But if they feel they have no control over their own lives and destiny, even they may have their breaking point.
A call to arms
It should go without saying that the primary duty of any government is the defence of the realm.
To neglect or undermine it in any way jeopardises our security and compromises our status as a free nation. This principle could not be more pertinent than right now, in this age of volatile global threat.
So, it is disturbing to read the bleak prognosis of a senior defence official, who says our Armed Forces ‘cannot defend the British homelands properly’.
The military is operating with a ‘bare minimum’ of troops and equipment, Rob Johnson says. ‘In any larger-scale operation, we would run out of ammunition rapidly. Our defences are too thin. We are not prepared to fight… an armed conflict.’
There are many calls on the public purse – from funding public health to maintaining law and order. But if we do not rebuild our severely weakened Army, Royal Navy and RAF, our enemies will be emboldened.
The Tories pledge, if re-elected, to boost defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030, to a total of £70billion a year.
Sir Keir Starmer says Labour would also boost funding, though he has conspicuously failed to provide a date. Both parties should go further. To protect our interests, we must be capable of projecting military power.
US President Theodore Roosevelt said the key to foreign policy was to ‘speak softly and carry a big stick’. Britain’s stick is now dangerously small.