A SPEECH made by former SNP MP Mhairi Black to the House of Commons warning the UK was “sleepwalking closer to fascism” has resurfaced as far-right violence continues.
More than 400 people have been arrested since disorder started in towns and cities including London, Rotherham, Middlesbrough, Liverpool, Belfast and Sunderland among others following the stabbing of three young girls in Southport.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer (below) vowed to do “whatever it takes to bring these thugs to justice” in a speech on Sunday.
As the violence looks set to continue, Black's September 2022 speech warning about the rise of fascism has resurfaced.
In the speech, the former SNP MP said: “We [the UK] have the lowest pensions in Europe, the lowest sick-pay.
“We pretend minimum wage is a living wage when it’s not. We miss our own economic targets time and time again.
“We’re happy to break international law. We are turning into a country where words hold no value.
This is the moment ex-SNP MP Mhairi Black accused the government of “sleepwalking closer to fascism” in a viral speech from 2022. pic.twitter.com/ePJIuyBojj
— The London Economic (@LondonEconomic) August 6, 2024
“Over the last 12 years, I fear we are sleepwalking closer and closer to the F word. And I know everyone is scared to say it for fear of sounding over the top or being accused of going too far.
“But I say this with all sincerity. When I say the F word, I’m talking about fascism. Fascism wrapped in red, white and blue.”
Black hit out at the Tory benches to say that while they may “mock and disagree, fascism does not come in with intentional evil plans or the introduction of leather jackboots,” but rather “it happens subtly”.
The speech has resurfaced on social media, with The London Economic being among those to share the clip.
A number of other users on Twitter/X also re-shared the speech and encouraged others to watch.
Black (below) added: “It [fascism] happens when we see governments making decisions based on self-preservation, based on cronyism, based on anything that will keep them in power.
“We see the concentration of power whilst avoiding any of the scrutiny or responsibility that comes with that power.
“It arrives under the guise of respectability and pride that will then be refused to anyone who is deemed different.
“It arrives through the othering of people. The normalisation of human cruelty. Now I don’t know how far down that road we are Madame Deputy Speaker.
“Time will tell. But the things we do in the name of the economic growth, the warning signs are there for everyone else to see whether they admit it or not.”
