Why Andy Burnham finds uniting Britain so difficult.

Have you seen the 2024 movie Civil War, with its dystopian depiction of the present-day USA in a violent spiral?

What makes it such an effective thriller is that everything seems so terribly true. Although the two sides in that civil war were fictional, that scar of today’s America struck a real nerve because of the obvious difference.

But interestingly, it was written and directed by British filmmaker Alex Garland, and it expresses his concerns about his country, as well as the US. “There is a lot to be concerned about” in both countries, he told the Guardian.

He is not alone. If you’re a social media user, you might believe that we’re a nation torn apart to create our own civil war. And away from the exaggerated animosity online, there are many who worry that Britain is gripped by out-of-control anger.

The new British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, seems to have acknowledged the misunderstanding. Since announcing his candidacy for the seat of Makersfield in May, he has repeatedly urged Britons to forget party labels or group labels and instead unite with pride in their communities. He said, “Not a party in advance, but in advance.”

And as he entered Downing Street on Monday, he called for a “new sense of national unity, common purpose and positivity”.

But it’s worth asking: just how divided is Britain?