The Empire strikes inward: Britain’s colonial legacy now targets its own citizens

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak

British colonialism may belong to the past, but the colonial mindset of the ruling elite in Britain persists. Today, these elites are applying colonial values and repressive political tactics not abroad, but to their own people. 'Home' is now where British colonialism is taking root—threatening civil liberties and undermining liberal democracy. The criminalisation of dissent has become a shared political practice across the Conservative and Labour leadership.

A stark example of this shift is the Labour government’s decision, under Sir Keir Starmer, to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation under the UK’s Terrorism Act 2000. Palestine Action, a five-year-old pro-Palestinian activist group, engages in non-violent direct action to disrupt the British arms industry’s support for Israel. The group sees itself as resisting a regime responsible for mass killings and the ongoing occupation of Palestinian land. But in the eyes of the Labour-led government, this resistance is now equated with terrorism.

On July 2, 2025, 385 Members of Parliament from across party lines voted to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist group. Only 26 MPs—drawn from left-wing, socialist, and independent ranks—opposed the move. The House of Lords approved the order on July 3. As of July 5, under the Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2025, any form of membership, support, or expression of solidarity with Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

This legislation exposes the deepening collusion between Britain’s ruling classes and the Zionist state of Israel. It also represents a dangerous erosion of democratic space. Acts of protest, dissent, and solidarity—once central to British political culture—are now increasingly treated as crimes.

This isn’t new in British history. During the height of its empire, the British ruling elite branded anti-colonial freedom fighters and movements as criminals and terrorists. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Steve Biko were all vilified by the British state. The Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 in colonial India pre-emptively criminalised entire communities, using the law to stigmatise and suppress resistance.

What has changed is that these same tactics are now turned inward. The criminalisation of dissent is no longer limited to the colonies; it now targets British citizens themselves. The Palestine Action ban shows that political resistance, particularly that which challenges imperial partnerships like the UK-Israel alliance, is now seen as a threat to national security.

Meanwhile, Israel continues its military campaign in Gaza—a campaign widely condemned as genocidal. Civilians, including women, children, the elderly, and entire families, are being bombed in their homes, schools, universities, libraries, and even graveyards. Yet the Labour government continues to supply arms and political cover to the Israeli regime.

British citizens are increasingly refusing to accept this. The legacy of falsehoods—like the lies that led to the Iraq War under Tony Blair—has made many people more sceptical of official narratives. Among the critics are growing numbers of British Jews who denounce the Israeli occupation and the British government’s complicity.

At home, while funding for public services such as health, education, and welfare is slashed, billions are channelled into foreign wars and arms sales. The colonial mindset is not just a foreign policy problem; it’s a domestic one that erodes democracy, dismantles the welfare state, and criminalises public conscience.

The proscription of Palestine Action is a warning. It paves the way for further attacks on civil liberties, particularly those of political resistance movements. A time may come when expressing solidarity itself becomes punishable.

In the face of such repression, liberal, democratic, and progressive forces must unite. The politics of peace and solidarity must be defended—both in Palestine and Britain. Reclaiming democratic rights from governments that perpetuate war and colonial domination is now a moral and political necessity.

The deaths in Gaza diminish our shared humanity. Now is the time to act. We must stand together to resist wars, end oppression, and build a world based on justice, dignity, and peace.

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