I’m curious of what British politics like in general. Like, I’m absolutely against invasive surveillance, but I associate it more with communist China and its authoritarian bullshit.
The newspapers are suggesting the new migrant stats to be published soon by Home Office for past 12 months will show extremely high numbers from both Hong Kong and Ukraine. To be honest I'm surprised people from Hong Kong didn't pick Australia instead of UK given it's better weather and bigger homes/roads compared to cramped England.
The policy is not without flaws though, the youngest BNO holders are now 26, immigration policy that focus on older generation is much harder to work. The 12-18 year olds are having a hard time as well, a 6 year stay is required before you could go to university with home fee, and no home fee basically means no university for many families.
My understanding is that the UK has the pretty generous BNO visa with immediate working rights and a path to citizenship, while Australia has an enhanced post-graduation pathway.
THe first is much easier and more flexible.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Demetrius
We also routinely convicted people on flimsy charges, this being the most notorious case:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_Six
A notoriously brutal policing operation split along ethnic lines:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Ulster_Constabulary
Infiltration of various groups by police with the sole purpose of surveilling and disrupting their activities:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/15/undercover-p...
Mass surveillance by GCHQ as documented by Snowden:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_surveillance_disclosure...
Rendition without trial (aka kidnapping) and torture:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/may/22/uk-support-cia...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_torture_and_prisone...
London is the most surveiled city outside China:
https://www.verdict.co.uk/most-surveilled-city/
And last but not least, the Metropolitan Police is full of creeps, rapists and murderers:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58747614
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/28/met-police-p...
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/apr/22/fourth-offic...
...
OK, one more, I give you.. indefinite prison sentences:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/sep/28/call-to-rese...
Edit: The pattern I'd identify throughout 200 years of our history is that we regularly "clamp down" on groups that are no threat (eg, Catholics, Irish people, and today Muslims) and radicals of any kind who wanted stuff like the vote, or socialised healthcare, or a decent environment. The pattern may well span longer, but I can definitely pick it up during that time.
I don't think it is even a matter of national character, either: it is a function of how our politics works. We have two viable parties of government, and they don't contest certain things, including authoritarian policymaking.