Our Democracy Under Siege - The Apoplectic Politico Blog

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Introduction: The Fragile State of Democracy

Democracy, once considered resilient in the United Kingdom, is now under significant strain. Across institutions, norms, and civil society, the foundations of democratic governance are being chipped away by political opportunism, populism, and systemic decay. The dangers are not always explosive or dramatic; many are slow-moving and procedural, but no less devastating. As faith in institutions declines and public trust erodes, the UK faces a moment of reckoning.

1. Cracks in the Electoral System and Party Structures

The UK’s First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system is increasingly unfit for a political landscape defined by five or more parties. As Open Britain has noted, FPTP now suppresses political diversity and delivers disproportionate outcomes that distort the public will¹. In a system designed for two parties, millions of votes are effectively wasted, leading to mounting disillusionment². This distortion creates a volatile environment where mainstream parties struggle to command legitimacy, and populist forces seize upon the chaos.

2. Populism Exploiting Disillusionment

Populist actors like Nigel Farage and his Reform UK party thrive in this atmosphere of democratic decline. Voters frustrated by the status quo often turn to these figures not out of ideological alignment, but out of protest and despair. As Open Britain highlights, the rise of Farage is not about public confidence in his policies, but about widespread loss of faith in traditional political mechanisms³⁴. This disillusionment is fertile ground for emotional appeals, scapegoating, and divisive rhetoric⁵.

3. Media and Misinformation

The UK’s media ecosystem, both traditional and digital, has played a central role in amplifying division. Sensationalist coverage, misleading headlines, and algorithm-driven outrage dominate political discourse⁶. Populists exploit these channels to spread fear, especially around immigration and national identity⁷. Farage’s staged appearances and inflammatory soundbites often receive disproportionate coverage, further warping public perception and marginalising evidence-based debate. Open Britain argues that stronger digital regulation is needed to stem the tide of disinformation⁸.

4. The Infiltration of Dark Money

Campaign finance in the UK has become increasingly opaque. The emergence of entities like the Great British PAC, backed by far-right activists and billionaires, demonstrates how foreign and untraceable money is seeping into UK politics⁹¹⁰. These structures allow powerful interests to influence elections from the shadows, undermining democratic accountability. Without reforms to transparency and funding rules, elections risk becoming tools of elite manipulation rather than expressions of public will¹¹.

5. The Erosion of Civil Liberties: A Quiet Constitutional Crisis

Since the turn of the millennium, successive governments have steadily eroded civil liberties once regarded as cornerstones of the British constitutional tradition. From Magna Carta to the Habeas Corpus Act, the UK’s uncodified constitution has long depended on inherited legal safeguards and conventions. Yet, in the name of national security, public order, or efficiency, many of these protections have been hollowed out.

Mass surveillance laws like the Investigatory Powers Act (2016), granting the state sweeping digital spying capabilities with limited oversight¹².
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (2022), which severely restricts the right to peaceful protest, undermining centuries-old protections for dissent¹³.
Cuts to legal aid through the 2012 LASPO Act, making access to justice an unaffordable luxury for many¹⁴.
The Nationality and Borders Act (2022), which grants ministers power to revoke citizenship without notice¹⁵.

6. Brexit and the Dismantling of External Safeguards

Brexit was presented as a reclaiming of sovereignty, but it also served a less acknowledged purpose: the removal of external checks on governmental power. The UK’s departure from the EU included an exit from the Charter of Fundamental Rights and distanced the country from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice¹⁶.

More troubling still is the ongoing campaign by some UK politicians to sever ties with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). These institutions were never foreign impositions; they were essential safeguards, empowering UK citizens to challenge their government when domestic avenues failed¹⁷. The Human Rights Act (1998) now stands vulnerable, with repeated threats to replace it with a weaker ‘British Bill of Rights’¹⁸.

In losing these international protections, the UK has further reduced the tools available to defend civil liberties at home. As Open Britain and many legal scholars have warned, removing these frameworks does not create freedom, it creates vulnerability.

7. A Nation at a Crossroads

The state of UK democracy is more fragile than many would like to admit. From electoral distortion and populist insurgency to the erosion of civil liberties and external protections, the siege is both internal and multifaceted. As apathy grows and trust collapses, the risk is not just that democracy will be diminished, it is that it will be rendered functionally meaningless.

Yet this outcome is not inevitable. Reform is still possible: proportional representation, stronger campaign finance laws, restoration of civil liberties, and protections against disinformation can still be pursued. What is needed now is political will, and a citizenry that refuses to remain silent.

The time to defend democracy is not after it has fallen. The time is now.

TBD 04/05/2025

I would especially like to thank Mark Kieran, the author and chef executive of the Open-Britain web-site and news letter, this article was inspired by his ( and the team at Open-Britain) work.
If you are not a member of their mailing list I can highly recommend signing up here :- https://open-britain.co.uk/