Roger Kimball's poignant reflection in "There'll Always Be an England—But Will It Be Free?" captures a chilling truth: England, once a bastion of liberty, is sliding into a dystopian mire where free speech is policed and the spirit of open discourse suffocated. The introduction of "non-crime hate incidents" (NCHIs) and the looming "banter ban" are not mere bureaucratic missteps but symptoms of a deeper malaise, a social decay gnawing at the core institutions that define England's civilised identity. I agree with Kimball that England is ceasing to be free, but the crisis runs deeper than speech alone. Current trends, marked by cultural erosion, institutional collapse, and unchecked immigration, threaten not just England's freedom but its very existence as a cohesive, civilised society. Without urgent course correction, England risks collapsing into a fragmented shadow of its former self.
Kimball rightly highlights the Orwellian nightmare of NCHIs, where police record "hostility" or "ill-feeling" without evidence of a crime, often based on anonymous accusations. This practice, codified by the College of Policing in 2023, turns thoughts into potential liabilities, with NCHIs appearing on enhanced Disclosure and Barring checks, jeopardising careers in teaching, healthcare, or journalism. The "banter ban," proposed under Labour's turbo-charged Equality Act, escalates this absurdity by criminalising pub conversations or football chants that might offend hypersensitive ears. A steward overhearing "Are you blind?" at a match could sue, forcing clubs to police fans' speech. Pubs, already closing at a rate of 37 per week, face becoming sterile "safe spaces" where no one dares jest or debate.
This is not freedom. It is a surveillance state masquerading as compassion, where citizens self-censor to avoid denunciation. The Free Speech Union notes that NCHIs foster a Soviet-style culture of informant-driven persecution, with no requirement for victims to justify their feelings. The chilling effect is palpable: people whisper their opinions, fearful of being blacklisted for a tweet or a quip. England's historic love of liberty, celebrated in Parker and Charles' 1939 anthem, is being smothered by a bureaucracy that prioritises feelings over facts.
Yet, the erosion of freedom is only one facet of England's decline. The nation's core institutions, its pubs, churches, families, and communities, are crumbling under the weight of social decay. Pubs, once vibrant hubs of camaraderie and debate, are not just threatened by Labour's banter ban but by economic pressures and cultural shifts. The Campaign for Real Ale reports that pub closures have accelerated due to high energy costs, rising taxes, and changing social habits, with 29% of Britons under 30 rarely visiting pubs. These spaces, where England's social fabric was woven, are vanishing, leaving communities atomised and isolated.
The family unit, another pillar of English society, is fraying. The Office for National Statistics shows marriage rates at their lowest since 1862, with 40% of children born to unmarried parents in 2023. Divorce rates remain high, and single-parent households, often reliant on strained welfare systems, face economic and social challenges. The erosion of family stability undermines the values of responsibility and cohesion that once anchored England's moral order.
Education, too, is in crisis. Schools, once bastions of critical thinking, are increasingly politicised, with curriculums opting for identity politics over history or literature. A 2024 report by the Policy Exchange found that 74% of teachers feel pressure to avoid controversial topics, stifling intellectual freedom. Meanwhile, the Church of England, a cornerstone of national identity, is shrinking, with attendance down to 600,000 weekly in 2023, a 40% drop since 2000. Its moral authority wanes as it grapples with internal divisions over progressive reforms, leaving a spiritual void.
Compounding this decay is the unaddressed impact of mass immigration, which has strained England's social cohesion to breaking point. The Mail on Sunday's investigation revealed 708 criminal charges against 312 asylum seekers in just 70 of 220 taxpayer-funded hotels, including rape, assault, and arson. This is not to vilify all migrants but to acknowledge a stark reality: unchecked immigration, coupled with inadequate integration, has overwhelmed communities. The Office for National Statistics projects that net migration, at 315,000 in 2024, will drive 62% of population growth by 2036. Towns like Bournemouth and Oxford report rising crime and social tension linked to migrant housing, eroding trust in institutions.
Cultural fragmentation follows. The imposition of multicultural policies, often without public consent, has diluted the shared values that once unified England. The refusal to prioritise assimilation, teaching newcomers the language, laws, and customs, has created parallel communities, as seen in areas like Tower Hamlets, where 35% of residents were born abroad. The failure to address this openly, for fear of NCHI-style accusations of "hostility," stifles debate and fuels resentment. England's identity, its history, humour, and sense of fair play, is being eroded, replaced by a fractured society where no one dares speak freely. The same is occurring in Australia.
If these trends continue, England's collapse as a civilised nation is not hyperbole but a looming reality. A society that cannot speak freely cannot solve its problems. A nation without strong families, pubs, or churches, loses its moral and social anchors. A country overwhelmed by migration without integration risks becoming a collection of enclaves, not a unified whole. The economic toll is already evident: manufacturing is in recession, and reliance on imports and public-sector jobs masks a hollowed-out private sector. Geopolitically, a weakened England, dependent on foreign supply chains and energy, will falter in a world of rising tensions, from US tariffs to Middle Eastern conflicts.
The Labour government's policies, as Kimball notes, accelerate this decline. Keir Starmer's vision seems less about preserving England's heritage than enforcing a sanitised, conformist society where dissent is punished. The £3 billion cost of housing migrants in hotels, coupled with a £7 billion Afghan evacuation scheme, strains public finances while communities bear the social costs. Meanwhile, the focus on net-zero goals without affordable energy threatens remaining industries, echoing Australia's manufacturing woes.
There may always be an England as a wasteland, but without action, it will not be the England of old, free, proud, and cohesive. To halt this collapse, England must reclaim its sovereignty over speech, culture, and borders. Repeal NCHIs and the banter ban to restore free expression. Prioritise family and community through tax incentives for marriage and support for local institutions like pubs. Reform immigration to emphasise integration, with clear expectations for language and cultural adherence. Invest in domestic industries, as South Korea does, to rebuild economic resilience. Above all, England, and Australia too, must rediscover its belief in itself, a nation of Magna Carta, Shakespeare, and Churchill, not a timid bureaucracy cowed by globalist ideals.
https://amgreatness.com/2025/07/20/therell-always-be-an-england-but-will-it-be-free/