“ Yes, and progressively getting worse. Let’s not kid ourselves.” That blunt verdict carried the vote, narrowly, but the room was less confident than the result: the winning side described polarisation, managed decline and the erosion of civic life, while its most emphatic claims about migration and “woke” institutions earned little respect.
The strongest Yes case said “society is fractured”, with people divided by religion and politics despite having much in common. Another argued that the old meeting places — church, pub, clubs, shops and allotments — had been strangled by bureaucracy, leaving the gym as one of the few remaining civic hubs.
No voters supplied the debate’s most-respected argument: “No, not irriversibly,” followed by a demand to be honest about weaker social bonds and the long decline of the welfare state. Others rejected the language of finality — “very few things are irreversible” — and argued that repairing public services would require money: “it will cost more!”
That made the disagreement less about whether the UK is under strain than about whether strain has become destiny. Immigration, policing and cultural change animated the Yes side; underfunding, austerity and the cost of rebuilding animated No, while both sides spoke of deterioration and largely talked past each other over its cause.
The verdict was a narrow vote for irreversibility, but the chamber’s best-rated voice still believed the door was open.
14 Opinions
We are not yet at the point of no return. It is in the process of being dismantled but it is not beyond saving.
I voted yes, purely because we are governed by those who are leading a managed decline and don't have the desire to reverse course. You wonder if it's by design. Divide and conquer. People are becoming more and more polarised by the day, society is fractured. Divided by religion and politics, when in most aspects people are pretty much the same and would get along fine. Do I believe it is truly irreversible, not quite yet, but we aren't far off.
It is being destroyed but it isn't irreversible just now but it will be in another couple of years
Yes because there are fewer places for society to meet. People used to meet at church, pub, clubs, voluntary associations, high street shops, allotments. All strangled by bureaucracy till nobody participates any more. The only modern civic hub I can think of is the gym, which is not suitable for all. And maybe pop choirs for women.
The longer these socialist/Fabian's stay in power the more of the fabric of society is being eroded away at a very rapid rate. Wait till October and I pray every labour voter will have a rude awakening when their pockets are hit , like ours. Buckle up
Nothing is irreversible, society has changed into something many do not like. We need to change it into something we do like, respect for law and order, hard work, contribution. Reduce unwanted burdens, realign the welfare state to support, not be a life style choice. Manage migration to support the coumtry not drain it. But British people first in Britain. Be compassionate but stop the virtue signaling we cant afford. Be realistic about our role in climate change
No, not irriversibly. But we have to be honest about why societal bonds are so much weaker - yes, it's immigration and social progressivism gone a bit loopy, but it's also Thatcher and the managed decline of the welfare state over the last half century.
NO Simply because very few things are irreversible. However paople may not be prepared to put the necessary amount of money where their mouths are to stop the rot & put things right. We need to reverse the decline caused by many years of underfunding, that's going to cost serious money!
People have been saying this since they could talk. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be. People don't like change. The media is whipping up fear for clicks.
Yes there is a lot that has changed but the act of settlement is in statute. That act of Parliament protects us. The fabric of society started to change in 1945 with the post war Labour Government which had many Catholic MPs. Each Labour Government thereafter caused the same damage although the Thatcher Government caused even more problems.