Jahangir Mohammed of the Ayaan Institute argues that it is the Establishment Old Boys Network that runs Britain, not Muslims, and it has failed to adapt to a changed Britain. He argues this privileged elite is responsible for generating anti-Muslim hate in this country, diverting from its failures to govern, and is suppressing public dissent. It is undergoing an identity crisis.

Liz Truss, the British Deep State, and Parliament’s Identity Crisis

Liz Truss does not get much right in her politics. Liz lasted just 49 days as Prime Minister (PM), the shortest period of any serving British PM.

She campaigned against Brexit and ended up on the wrong side. Before she became PM, “globalist” Liz courted the US and joined in on its new Cold War against China. That is not going too well for the US right now. Having failed in politics and economics she is now trying her hand at philosophy.

In pursuit of this new venture, Liz Truss ended up across the Atlantic in the US trying to become the darling of the American far-right/MAGA movement. At the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) she shared a platform with the far-right populist Steve Bannon. She is promoting her new book “Ten Years to Save the West,” having already failed to save Britain from an economic crisis.

Truss has caused a storm in her interviews in the US, by claiming that her failure as PM was the result of “deep state” influence. The deep state she was alluding to be a left-leaning journalist and civil servant class in charge of the “administrative state.” She then went on to give credence to barmy Bannon’s conspiracy theories, that there are Muslim no-go areas in Britain where white women are being raped by radical “Islamists and Jihadists,” and that in a Rochdale byelection, a radical Islamist Party was about to be elected. Bashing and smearing Muslims has become a great way to sell books, make news, and win elections. It has become a favourite political pastime of Britain’s elite and their political parties. A kind of “Paki bashing” for the privileged class.

Back in the UK, the Labour Party and the Labour Speaker of Parliament subverted an SNP ceasefire vote, defying long tradition, using the fear of an alleged “extremist” (read Muslim) threats to MPs to justify his act. This unleashed some Tory Party members to spread hateful conspiracy theories about Muslims. “Islamists” (read Muslims) were now running everything from the Government to London and the streets of this country. The hate fest led to discussions about new laws to curb threats and intimidation of politicians and tackle extremism (read Muslims). As if no one else in public life is subject to threats and intimidation. It was as if a terrorist attack had taken place in Britain. All this to try and stop the British people from protesting and expressing revulsion about what was happening to the Palestinian people and wanting our politicians to do something to bring it to an end.

Britain’s Powerful Establishment Runs Britain.

Liz Truss was right about one thing. There is a Deep State in Britain, but it is not the one that she stated. She became PM because of it. Britain’s “Old Boys Network” (OBN) is at the heart of the Establishment and Britain’s Deep State. It is still rooted in class and a privileged wealthy elite educated in privately funded public schools like Eton, followed by an Oxford or Cambridge higher education (Oxbridge). Although times have moved on and there has been some progress, the OBN has been broadly unchanged and still runs the country.

Progress to the top in the British system, particularly in politics, is still very much through the privately funded schooling and Oxbridge route. Of Britain’s 57 PMs to date, 44 have been educated at Oxford or Cambridge, a huge 77% (30 at Oxford and 14 at Cambridge). This route is also the key to success in higher positions in key institutions in public life such as the Judiciary (over 70%), civil service, security, finance, the military, business, and the media. Oxford and Cambridge are also a fertile recruiting ground for the intelligence services.

If Kier Starmer wins the next election, he will be yet another Oxford-educated PM, like Rishi Sunak. Deputy PM Oliver Dowden went to Cambridge. Just 1% of the population goes to elite Oxbridge. Only 7% of the country is wealthy enough to send their children to public school, yet around 45% of Oxbridge intakes are from this cohort. A report in 2019 found,

“a tiny cohort of privately educated people, many of whom went to Oxbridge, continue to hold the top jobs in the country.

It does not matter if the education or degree is not so good, or even if the graduates are not that talented. What matters is the rich and elite networks these people can access to ensure their smooth progression to the top positions and the ruling class of this country (white).

If we examine some of those who have made recent comments deemed Islamophobic, and others who are often accused by the Muslim community of pushing Islamophobic narratives, a pattern begins to emerge. Suella Braverman (Oxford), Robert Jenrick (Cambridge), Michael Gove (Oxford), William Shawcross (Oxford), Douglas Murray (Oxford), Melanie Phillips (Oxford), Alan Mendoza (CEO HJS – Cambridge), Nick Cohen (Oxford).

The media is considered a major source of Islamophobia by Muslims. Some of the leaders of the media and their backgrounds are; Chris Evans (Oxford -editor of the Daily Telegraph), Ted Verity (Oxford -editor of Daily Mail), Tim Davie (Cambridge- Director General BBC), George Carron Grieg (Oxford -editor of Independent), Katherine Viner (Oxford-editor Guardian), Victoria Newton (Cambridge -Editor Sun), Stephen Pollard (Oxford at the same time as Gove-former editor Jewish Chronicle), Jake Wallis Simmons (Oxford -Jewish Chronicle).

This elitism even extends to the Church of England and its top post the Archbishop of Canterbury. Justin Welby like his predecessor Rowan Williams went to Cambridge. Before Williams, George Carey became the first Archbishop of Canterbury to not have been a product of Oxbridge since Simon Sudbury in 1316, the Middle Ages.

A Ruling Elite Failing to Come to Terms with a Changed Country.

The elite whilst claiming to act in the best interests of the country have always been a self-interested class, who are now determined to maintain their interests and power like most MPs. In the era of colonialism and imperialism, they thrived but that era is ending.

Whatever crisis afflicts the country, this small wealthy, and powerful elite seems to benefit and become even wealthier. To deflect from their failings in governing the country and identifying the deep-seated causes of a failed archaic system and Parliament, this elite creates diversions. Migrants, Muslims, “Islamists,” ” extremism,” “the left” “the mob” and “culture wars.”  These threats and fears and constant external wars prevent the people from understanding the deep-seated causes of British political and institutional failure. At the same time, they introduce more draconian laws curbing the people’s dissent to preserve their rule and prevent change.

Within this OBN, most members have probably never had much interaction with the Muslim communities and their areas of residence. It appears some cannot come to terms with a multicultural and faith country. As seen recently some cannot tell the difference between their Hindu PM and Muslims. Many MPs also represent the large swathes of this country that are white (the “ghetto” or no-go area is never white) with aging populations, and they play on fears of foreigners. Many older people never went to areas that are described as “living under sharia law” or “no-go areas” and would believe an Islamophobic mainstream media when they tell them “Muslims are running the country or London.”

What we saw in the recent statements around Palestinian protests, is a younger more educated, and articulate Muslim community starting to become more assertive in their politics. This has created a moral panic in our political class over their rule of the masses and the migrant populations (that is how they still see us). What made them lose it, was the sight of a Pakistani-origin Muslim, leading the SNP in a motion for a ceasefire in Gaza and calling out their beloved Israel for collective punishment of the Palestinian people. That was never going to be allowed to happen, so they bent the rules to stop it. Britain’s Old Boys descended into a farcical racist and anti-Muslim rant about who runs this country, as they saw the signs that their power was beginning to wane and British politics heading towards change.

Britain’s Parliament is suffering from an identity crisis because of profound generational, and political changes that have taken place in the country (including ethnicity and religion). They are beginning to have less control and their sense of entitlement and privilege is being challenged. It would be better to rebrand the British Parliament as the British Museum, there are far too many prehistoric rituals and dinosaurs in it.

As for Liz Truss, her book like much else she has done, is likely to be a flop. Western hegemony is on its way out after centuries of global domination, get used to it. Liz seems to have failed in philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE) in the real world  However, the Old Boys will ensure she can still access their rich and powerful networks so she can continue to peddle her vitriol and conspiracy theories about Muslims, Migrants, the Left, and a whole lot of imaginary threats to Britain and the West.