Does Suella Braverman—by claiming that multiculturalism has failed—suggest that we should all subscribe to some manufactured by the likes of her image of Britishness? Because even if I tried to fit that delusion, I have a really hard time guessing what that actually is I was supposed to become since, after seventeen years here, in the UK—in Scotland, to be more precise—I’d say there’s no such thing as British, at least where I live, and if you ask any random Aberdonian on the street who they are, you’ll most likely hear Scottish. I’m pretty certain the same applies to Wales and Northern Ireland, although the situation in the latter is way more complex. Even in England, people are still likely to call themselves English first rather than British (a lot depends on how you phrase the question).

Coming from a country that went through half a century of totalitarianism, I always feel an unpleasant shiver running down my spine when I hear a politician, especially a representative of the government who controls the security services and the police, utter such bold statements. They should know better that such words have the power to cause harm, which is why I’m horrified that she says them so casually, or in fact, uses them at all.

There is a saying in my native language that overzealousness is worse than fascism, and I’m afraid it fits this situation perfectly. I will keep Braverman’s words in mind next time I watch V for Vendetta, which has been my tradition every fifth of November for quite a few years now.