heretics. 617. It's Time To Take To The Streets
Feb 5, 2026
Paul Embery, British trade unionist and columnist known for writing on labour and culture. He argues politics feels disconnected from ordinary people. He talks about Britain’s decline, how institutions resist change, the case for organised protest beyond voting, immigration and social cohesion, limits of free speech policing, and what effective protest looks like.
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Institutions Hold Real Power Now
- Embery warns many institutions have been captured by radical progressivism and technocratic power.
- He highlights NGOs, quangos and senior civil servants as powerful gatekeepers limiting political change.
Avoid Protests That Alienate The Public
- Embery treats disruptive tactics like glueing to roads as a last resort and warns they can alienate the public.
- He recommends inventive, proportionate protest that keeps popular sympathy if action is necessary.
Skepticism Of Reform UK's Economic Agenda
- Embery rejects Reform UK economically because he sees it as Thatcherism resurrected.
- He fears their market-first agenda would hollow industry and deepen social harms despite agreeing with some cultural positions.
