‘The country of my birth has lost its heart’: Miriam Margolyes on how to fix broken Britain
At 85, Miriam Margolyes reflects on how Britain has become unrecognizable, attributing the decline to political divisiveness, misinformation, and the rise of far-right movements. She argues for facing historical truths, rejecting xenophobia, and resisting the billionaire-controlled media that scapegoats immigrants while the real culprits hide in plain sight.
Summary
Miriam Margolyes opens with personal reflection on aging and how Britain has drastically changed since her childhood, with people feeling adrift and disconnected from their homeland. She argues that while we invent mythologies about the past, the current era feels worse than any in her lifetime—marked by disappearing institutions, hostility toward minorities, and fear pervading society.
Margolyes uses humor and international nicknames for the British (Brittunculi, Poms, Limeys, etc.) to illustrate how the British are perceived abroad and at home. She contends that understanding others' perspectives requires listening to "the other side of the story" rather than accepting victors' propaganda. She advocates for embracing linguistic and cultural diversity, noting that Britain's language has been enriched by influences from invaders and inhabitants alike.
She traces her own political journey from being a 14-year-old Conservative candidate in 1955 to becoming a committed leftist after befriending socialist families who showed her a more humane worldview. Margolyes then examines the historical rise of fascism in Britain, beginning with lesbian fascist Rotha Lintorn-Orman in 1923, through Oswald Mosley, and into modern movements led by figures like Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson.
Addressing contemporary politics, Margolyes critiques how older people resist change and scapegoat immigrants, when the real problem lies with billionaires controlling media and political parties. She refuses to accept doom, calling for laughter, satire, and ridicule as weapons against those in power, and urges building bridges across divides rather than accepting the narrative that outsiders are responsible for Britain's troubles.
About this episode
<p>At 85, the actor has lived through much political upheaval. But, she writes, today’s hostile times feel like ‘the worst yet’. She reflects on her journey from teenage Tory to full-throated leftist – and says there’s still time to save the nation from the bad guys</p><p>A funny thing happened on the way to 2026: I got old and the world turned nasty. It happened very quickly and it’s to do with politics (the world) and pelvic floor weakness (mine). It’s strange being this old. Sometimes when I look in the mirror, it’s a shock to see wrinkles and grey hair, because inside I am still that naughty Oxford High School girl, risking detention just for the joy of entertaining her friends. People assume that with great age comes great wisdom, but actually we remain who we have always been, only more so, and we need to make our peace with that and with each other.</p><p>The Britain I grew up in, though – that feels almost unrecognisable, and everyone I speak to says the same thing. The historian Eric Hobsbawm, whom I knew and loved, argued that people invent the past they want for their own purposes – that the real past was quite different: “Today is the great age of historical mythology.” He’s right, but that past is still the safe haven I’d like to return to. People feel adrift, they don’t understand or feel a connection to the place they thought they knew.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/aug/23/the-country-of-my-birth-has-lost-its-heart-miriam-margolyes-on-how-to-fix-broken-britain">Continue reading...</a>
Key Insights
- Margolyes argues that people remain fundamentally who they've always been as they age, only more intensified, and must make peace with that reality rather than expecting wisdom to transform them.
- She contends that Eric Hobsbawm was correct that people invent the past they want, but this invented past remains a 'safe haven' people desire to return to regardless of historical accuracy.
- Margolyes claims the English excel at obfuscation and avoiding truth through politeness rules, contrasting this with her belief that direct truth-telling is necessary, even if unpopular.
- She asserts that fascism in Britain can be traced to Rotha Lintorn-Orman's 1923 founding of the British Fascisti, and that modern far-right movements like those of Farage represent a continuation of this historical trend.
- Margolyes argues that billionaires controlling media and political funding are the true culprits in Britain's decline, not immigrants or asylum seekers, and that the public has been deliberately bamboozled into blaming the vulnerable.
Topics
Transcript
A funny thing happened on the way to 2026: I got old and the world turned nasty. It happened very quickly and it’s to do with politics (the world) and pelvic floor weakness (mine). It’s strange being this old. Sometimes when I look in the mirror, it’s a shock to see wrinkles and grey hair, because inside I am still that naughty Oxford High School girl, risking detention just for the joy of entertaining her friends. People assume that with great age comes great wisdom, but actually we remain who we have always been, only more so, and we need to make our peace with that and with each other. The Britain I grew up in, though – that feels…
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