The Red Cap of Liberty

It was only when they came into power as coalition partners at the last election, that we realised precisely how far we had come.

Finally, children had become used to studying for the English Baccalaureate. After the judicial reviews had abated, it was only natural to see social acceptance follow. 

All it needed was a little time. 

Last week, the Education minister spoke out for all of us “The Government has a duty ensure that before all else, the children of this land learn about Englishness”. 

The Englishisation reforms were entirely necessary, we were told, to strike back at the heart of cultural and academic revisionism, and a growing intolerance of the English. The billboards two elections ago echoed what every child now knew by rote -

"The English are no longer a minority in their own land. The fightback begins here"

Without the education reforms a generation ago, it may well have been that we would continue patiently down the wrong path. The problem with multiculturalism was that it had given rise to fanaticism - a belief that all peoples, of whatever race, religion or creed were entitled to a proportionate slice of the pie. Clearly, in such an overcrowded land as ours, this could never be the case. As in fact, history had proven time and time again. A handful of Marxist journalists and now jailed politicians, had created a climate where understanding and the accommodation of different backgrounds, had become more important than remembering who we as a people once were.

A leading backbencher quipped during a Commons debate that "having a month dedicated to studying the influence of Blacks - it's simply got nothing to do with us in England". It was important to give children an understanding of how The Indian Mutiny had been an uncharitable poke in the face of a benevolent presence by poorly educated Indian hoards; it was equally beyond comprehension to think that once our children had learned of Seacole rather than Thatcher.

Restrictions on foreign press reporting had been a natural consequence of the great Press Reform Act which followed a series of inquiries and a decade of debate. We had been shown evidence of 'scandalous misreporting' and 'media manipulation' from foreign broadcasters and naturally, as both upholders and arbiters of media virtue, the Government now had a responsibility to ensure the collective would not be corrupted again; and so it was only "right and proper" as the Home Secretary had said, that two licensed broadcasters be enough. In fairness, as we often say to the children, if they don't like the cartoonomercials from the English Broadcasting Company, they can watch America Global - choice as we have been told, is quite rightly, distracting.

Arguably, the "Reinigungwoche" even today, and after all these years, is still considered controversial in some quarters. History teaches us that whenever those predicated to barbarism, incivility and unrest increase in numbers, when a critical mass is reached, that public disorder follows. The Reinigungwoche deaths, as sad and widespread as they were, entirely needless had those people not resisted their facilitated relocation to the Supermax residences. The minutemen had to do their jobs. As our historians have subsequently recorded, as have our politicians showed their support. It was important, as the PM said to "cleanse the palette" once in a while.

Society is indebted to those brave activists and political social leaders who worked tirelessly to awaken the English to the terror of Islamic extremism. No longer shackled by the bureaucracy of long defunct and man-made concepts of human rights and fiscal union, once European states were set free, we too were able to press forward with long needed domestic national security reforms. Secularism has been our saving grace. That we have a state Church which does not interfere in our lives and has nothing but a ceremonial presence, is as much of a compromise as we the people, will allow. For once, we can recognise the work of the Secretary of State for Communities and Secular Society in ensuring that religious extremists keep their views to themselves. Advances in our understanding of the non-overlapping magisteria of the real world and the spiritual realm, have enlightened society beyond all recognition.

Today, we realise that limiting our understanding of human rights has been an economic disaster. The "Pathways to Success" program has saved 72% of our welfare bill through effective management and was a key component in the reducing the deficit - it's something a nationalised health service could never have introduced. In fact, amongst my friends it's now considered unusual to not take the state subsidy at age 60. Dignity and being able to choose the time and place of one's passing is a fundamental human right. Latest polls indicate that Population Management is the fastest growing area of study for the Oxbridge-Ivy students.

For the record, my wife and I have already opted to take our state subsidies together on her sixtieth birthday. We have booked a two week, all inclusive, assisted-retreat in the Bahamas. It should be incredible.