However ‘otherered’ extremism may feel to us- it is rarely useful to distinguish ‘Us’ and ‘Them’. Ultimately, responsibility is shared across the whole of society and is embedded in the values we espouse.

There may often be a sense that ‘extremism’- particularly that attributable to different political views- belongs outside our social bubble; in other words, comes from and stays with ‘other people’. It’s not ‘Us’. In reality, these types of processes tend to emanate from complex social dynamics, where any individual may feel isolated, aggrieved, and predominantly, under threat. A sense of social cohesion can then emerge then from these shared emotional experiences, where commonalities in views and values are emphasized.

Thus, the issues underpinning current scenes of social unrest in the UK are not surprising. They spring from many sources, not least the challenges that many of us face in everyday life (e.g., cost of living, social isolation etc.). But these will not be solved ‘overnight’. What is likely to need more urgent attention is the ability of individuals willing to foment unrest by tapping into and magnifying those issues for their own ends.