It's only a revolution if the people support it, otherwise it's just a reactionary coup...

One of the most worrying trends in recent politics is the rise of the demagogue in Western politics. It led to Brexit, and saw Donald Trump win the Presidency. Here in Britain though, it appears to be being usurped by a small bunch of highly influential ideologues.

First, it was experts. They're all biased, because they didn't agree that Brexit was the greatest thing since sliced bread. How very dare they suggest that things are complex, and that it might not be so easy, or beneficial to cut ourselves adrift from the largest single trading bloc in the world? The answer, discredit them, as the likes of Michael Gove chose to do.

By the way, what has happened to Michael since he lost his leadership bid? Has stabbing his former friends in the back caused him to lose the plot, for his use of Twitter is not that of someone behaving entirely rationally? But I digress...

By discrediting experts, the field is left open for any opinionated person with access to a media platform to make any claim they like, knowing that it will have to be given credence by repetition through an unquestioning media (yes, I'm looking at the BBC!).

And that credibility leads to influence.

But our system of government has checks and balances, through an independent judiciary and a neutral Civil Service. Well, they've got to go, haven't they? First, attack the right of the judiciary to determine what the law is (Iain Duncan-Smith, for ignominious example), leaving it to our merry band of opinionated ideologues again to define what they can get away with under the cover of leadership privilege.

And they then need a Civil Service which is unwaveringly committed to the Project. There's no need for balanced advice, or for experience, if the cause is so right, so glorious. Thus, pick new people, people who will do what they are told unquestioningly.

In such ways is our Government undermined. The cost is to our rights and freedoms, the protections from an over-mighty state in the hands of extremists. For I'm afraid that that's what the likes of Michael Gove and Iain Duncan-Smith presage, and it isn't a country for liberals or the powerless. Because, at the end of the day, it's all about taking back control, taking back control from the people and putting it in the hands of the ideologues.

That never ends well...