It has been a truly torrid summer — and not just because of the unprecedented heatwave. Britain's political climate, too, has hotted up, with its newly minted revolving-door politics producing the country's seventh prime minister in 10 years.

But the real story has been the loutish behaviour of Britain's increasingly lumpenised far right after it went on the rampage attacking asylum seekers and provoking race riots in parts of the country. Yet this may also be a sign of its growing desperation to remain in the news amid indications that it has begun to run out of steam, having exhausted its one-point anti-immigration agenda.

Much of the media, however, continues to play up the story of the far right's extraordinary rise and how it represents the failure of multiculturalism and the bankruptcy of mainstream liberal and centrist politics.

A whole new vocabulary has grown around this narrative, with terms such as 'resurgent', 'unstoppable' and 'relentless rise of the extreme right' being routinely used, even by left-leaning publications such as the Guardian, New Statesman and Independent.

All this has fed the impression, particularly outside Britain, that the far right is on a roll. But behind the headlines and hype is a different reality — one in which its best days may already be behind it. The reason is simple: so long as it was seen as an underdog bravely battling the 'establishment' to preserve Britain's Christian values, it was given an easy ride. But its success and accompanying fame have brought greater public scrutiny, and it is now failing embarrassingly to withstand it.

Also Read: Charlie Kirk’s death exposes rot of right-wing extremism

Skeletons have begun tumbling out of the closet, revealing a story of grubby deals, the murky pasts of rank-and-file members and the sheer incompetence of some of those elected to positions of power.

Even as I write this,........

© National Herald