British colonialism may belong to the past, but the colonial mindset of the ruling elite in Britain continues to persist. Today, these elites apply colonial values and political tactics to their own people. ‘Home’ is now where British colonialism rests, as it threatens the civil liberties of British citizens and undermines liberal democracy in Britain. The criminalisation of dissent is becoming a common political practice shared by both the Conservative and Labour leadership. Under the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour government has moved to proscribe the group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation under the UK’s Terrorism Act 2000.

Palestine Action is a five years old pro-Palestinian activist group that believes and engages in democratic direct action to disrupt the British arms industry, which it believes supports the Zionist regime in Israel. This regime, in the name of fighting Hamas, is responsible for killing Palestinians and occupying and destroying their homes, land, lives, and livelihoods. Resistance in pursuit of human emancipation and against colonial occupation is not a crime. Yet, in the eyes of the Labour-led British government, it is treated as equivalent to terrorism. This colonial hangover continues to shape the mindset of the British ruling establishment.

On 2nd of July, 385 Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum voted in favour of proscribing this solidarity campaign group, with the House of Lords approving the order on 3rd of July. Only 26 left-wing, socialist, democratic, progressive and independent Members of Parliament opposed the motion. According to the Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2025, Palestine Action is officially designated a terrorist organisation as of 5th of July 2025. Under the amended order, any form of membership, support, solidarity, funding, or display of insignia associated with Palestine Action is now a criminal offence, carrying a maximum penalty of fourteen years in prison. Such legislation reflects the close collaboration between the British ruling classes and the Zionist regime in Israel. It also undermines liberal political culture and weakens British democracy by criminalising acts of solidarity and dissent.

Historically, the British ruling classes—driven by a colonial mindset—branded many anti-colonial freedom fighters, their organisations, and their leaders as criminals or terrorists. Even iconic figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Steve Biko were labelled as terrorists by the British coloniser in India and South Africa. In colonial India, the British enacted the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, which classified certain ethnic and tribal communities as “habitually criminal groups.” This legislation aimed to undermine the national struggle for freedom and stigmatise these communities in the eyes of public. It was a calculated social, political, and legal strategy to weaken anti-colonial resistance by creating legal structures of divide and rule. Today, these strategies are not new; the only difference is that they are now being used against the British people themselves—through the criminalisation of democratic dissent.

The Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2025 undermines the civil liberties of citizens by criminalising political dissent against the very government they elect. Meanwhile, Israel continues to perpetrate what many describe as a genocide in Gaza—bombing civilians, including children, women, and the elderly, and targeting homes, schools, universities, libraries, and even graveyards. Despite this humanitarian catastrophe, the British government under the Labour Party persists in supplying arms and offering political support to the Zionist regime in Israel.

British citizens are increasingly awakening to the political urgency of resisting and ending this crisis. From the past experience—particularly the Iraq War under Tony Blair, which was justified by Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), what was later exposed as a pack of lies—people in Britain have grown more critical of government narratives on foreign intervention. As a result, growing numbers of British people, including members of the Jewish community, are speaking out against the Israeli occupation of Gaza. Yet, the British government continues to celebrate and support colonial Zionist projects abroad, even at the expense of its own people and democratic values. The Labour government under Sir Keir Starmer is dismantling the welfare state in Britain by cutting funding for essential services such as welfare, education, and healthcare, while allocating billions to foreign wars in support of colonial and imperialist hegemonic agendas. This colonial continuity poses a serious threat to citizenship rights and the foundations of democracy in contemporary Britain.

The designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation marks a significant step toward criminalising other political resistance movements. A time may come when citizens are denied their basic civil liberties, including the right to political expression. In response, all liberal, democratic, and progressive individuals, organisations, and communities must unite to uphold the ideals of democratic freedom—both at home and abroad—and to resist the British government’s colonial agenda that destroys lives at home and abroad.

It is time to reclaim our democratic rights from the war mongering governments. The politics of peace and solidarity offer the only meaningful alternative, connecting us as global citizens whose lives, livelihoods and liberties are deeply intertwined. The deaths and suffering in Gaza diminish our shared humanity. Now is the time to stand together to end wars, conflicts, and all forms of exploitative systems that threaten the very foundations of human life, world peace and contribute to the ongoing planetary crisis.