Modern ‘Liberals’, Moral Panic and the Culture Mob

Progressives’ propensity for hounding, cancelling and even destroying members of society should worry all who truly care for liberty

So there we have it. Just in case we weren’t aware already, we are now. It can no longer be stated that Britain is a nation which supports freedom of speech. The most recent aggravation of British ‘liberals’ has culminated in the brutal silencing of a member of the public. He was hounded out of his job, his livelihood. And what for? An insensitive, stupid banner which was flown over a football match donning the phrase ‘White Lives Matter’.

Jake Hepple, perpetrator of the heinous crime in question, was subsequently on the end of a police investigation for the words he used on the banner last Monday. It begs repeating; he was investigated by our police force for speaking his mind. Consider your most socially unacceptable political opinions. Perhaps you have admiration for Enoch Powell, believe Blair was justified to invade Iraq or maybe you’re literally a communist. The point is there’s a plethora of more controversial opinions and views than saying “white lives matter”, even in the current climate.

If we are to live in a civilised society we must respect liberty, including the liberty of those we love and despise in equal measure. Modern ‘liberals’ have no understanding of this and would sooner throw all Brexit voters under the bus (perhaps a big red one promising NHS funding) than admit it is from these differences and intricacies that fruitful change can be yielded.

In all fairness, the police have been under intense pressure in recent months. Their response to the Covid-19 outbreak was a mixed bag; authoritarian in some instances, mature and trusting of the public in others. However, as soon as the Black Lives Matter protests rolled into town our law enforcers went into a new gear of derangement. They couldn’t help but swoon before the crowd to demonstrate their virtuous nature. Of course, kneeling is a lot easier than actually catching or deterring the vandals who pull down our statues or injure our coppers.

Such a political response to a political movement from our law enforcement — which needs reminding that it’s not meant to look partisan, just while we’re watching anyway — is worrying at best, a potentially terrifying sign of what’s to come at worst. It is therefore no surprise that Hepple was investigated by the Lancashire Constabulary’s East Division Football Unit, or Burnley FC Police as its comical abbreviation.

Of course, the Burnley FC Police didn’t find anything actually legally suspect (although the Burnley defence that evening must have come close in their 5–0 defeat). Against the greatest wishes of this police branch nothing could be done about a man voicing his opinion, other than let the public firmly know of their disapproval. That said, the story was, and I fear still is, far from over for Hepple. Less than 48 hours later he received news of his dismissal from his job at Paradigm Precision, a fabric and components specialist company in the Burnley area. Even his partner lost her job as offence archaeologists dug up her less-than-politically correct past. The bullying had successfully generated the moral panic it always intended to create. The threat to the cultural gatekeepers was swiftly eradicated.

Although you might think this case to be nothing more than a distant, nightmarish scare-story of the unhinged mob coming to get us in the dark, I implore you to think otherwise. Stories like this are becoming ever-present — not just in Britain but the West as a whole as we hasten towards the ‘end game’ of the identity politics era.

While being confined to my parents’ home during the Covid crisis, I managed to get a job at my local supermarket to pass the time and soften the economic blow post-lockdown. On the induction day, a group of us newbies were made very aware that there would be consequences for any social media activity which could bring the reputation of the company into disrepute.

“Big Brother is always watching,” remarked the instructor, a wry smile on her face. This was tongue in cheek of course, but only partially. Should any member of staff speak out-of-turn online they would be sure to feel the full force of this ‘socially responsible’, yet not so benevolent, corporation.

This was certainly the experience of Brian Leach, an Asda worker of five years before sharing a video of Billy Connolly on Facebook last year. All the video did was mock religious extremists and, specifically, suicide bombers. He was unceremoniously removed from his position after all those years of dedicated service. Perhaps the most tragic aspect of this story was that Leach revealed to the Examiner he didn’t have enough money to join a union, so couldn’t fight it. Anyhow, leaders of trade unions and those high up in the Labour Party don’t have the courage to stand up against this nonsense so I’m not sure it would have mattered. Shame on them and what has become of the labour movement. In the end it was the National Secular Society who backed Leach up. His punishment was reduced to a final warning.

It isn’t just people lower down the ladder who are finding difficulty in expressing themselves. In March, as a lead up to International Women’s Day, UNWomen Oxford thought it a good idea to invite former Home Secretary Amber Rudd to the university to give a speech. The fact that she was a woman of considerable political stature and success in the previous Conservative administration was clearly not enough to appease the menaces on campus who had her down their sights.

Oxford Feminist Society’s ethnic diversity representative (yikes) saw that there was no way Rudd, with all her problematic views, could possibly be allowed entry. So, with half an hour before the event was due, a committee vote was worked out behind closed doors. Rudd was duly cancelled from speaking despite the promise of a large, interested audience. Some of whom I’m sure were admirers, but also some who would love a chance to passionately criticise her and her party’s record on the Windrush scandal.

The list is becoming as endless as it is obscene. I have already discussed the infamous Germaine Greer versus Cardiff University case from back in 2015. This illiberal trend shows no sign of slowing as we enter the 2020s. Even as I write this article BBC News informs me Rebecca Long-Bailey, darling of the Corbyn-wing of Labour, has been sacked from the shadow cabinet for retweeting an article with an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. Long-Bailey adamantly protests she did not endorse all of the article in question. I’m afraid it doesn’t matter, Rebecca. The Labour Party’s PR machine chugs on, squashing all before it. Even its own.

What are we to do? Indeed, is there anything we can do? Well, I believe there are two ways of combatting this nonsense.

The first is a fundamental change to English law. The Americans have always had superiority to most European nations on the matter of liberty due to the conception of the Constitution. The First Amendment, of which, is crucial: the right of all Americans to enjoy freedom of speech, unimpeded by the state. As far as my limited legal expertise goes, I am not aware of any such sturdy doctrine in English law. As such, this makes pernicious changes to our laws and regulations of speech easier. Just look at Section 127 of the 2003 Communications Act which seeks to rule anyone who sends a “grossly offensive” message out by electronic means a criminal. Incorrect interpretations could be drawn once deciphering its vague meaning, perhaps for the purpose of political gains. An impenetrable law of some description must be brought in ensuring, to the greatest degree possible, the only consequence of honest speech, harmful or otherwise, is more speech.

Secondly, we must all ensure we keep speaking our minds. We can’t give in to the illiberal wave which has swept up the media, our corporations and, nearly, our culture. If anyone you know is being targeted for speaking their mind, then it shouldn’t matter whether you agree with them or not. You stand up for their right to speak. For example, it is a legitimate position to despise Katie Hopkins and also believe she should have a platform on Twitter to spout her rubbish.

The poisoning of our culture by this censorious sect goes a long way to explaining certain political phenomena in the West: Johnson and Trump being the easiest examples of resistance. It is unhealthy living in a culture of fear of speaking out and all it serves for ‘liberals’ is a good shocking on election nights. This political trend will continue as we carry on its doom-ridden trajectory.

A small consolation for the likes of Jake Hepple or Brian Leach is that there are many who would not only back their right to express themselves but actually agree with what they’ve said or enjoy their sense of humour. Nonetheless, the culture mob will continue picking victims off one at a time until there is no one left willing to speak out unless a tangible resistance is formed.

One might assume that a long time from now, when the culture war has reached its gripping conclusion, future generations will look back on this time. I suspect they will either view it with shock or surprise. Shock that their ancestors thought it fit to live in such a censorious time, or surprise that their ancestors could enjoy so much more freedom than they could ever wish for. Can we afford just to wait and see which outcome is victorious?

[An edited version of an article published in June]