https://unherd.com/2025/09/the-mutiny-of-middle-englands-mums/

The costly burglar alarms, gated compounds, and private security patrols that compensate for eroded public trust and safety in effect transform an intangible common good into a luxury for the rich. This makes the loss of an existing atmosphere of safety a far graver threat to those of modest means — not to mention one that, for reasons that should be obvious, lands especially heavily on women. So we shouldn’t be surprised if women are beginning to protest, especially as the side-effects of recent, rapid immigration extend palpably beyond big cities into provincial Britain, while the ongoing small boats crisis brings matters to a head. Of course some population turnover is normal, and plenty of newcomers just want to fit in; in the ordinary course of things, such individuals tend to be absorbed in short order. But this is not always the case, and becomes more noticeable as the volume increases.

As things stand, my own small town feels tranquil and familiar enough that primary-age children of both sexes play outdoors unaccompanied. But Reform’s swelling membership stands as testament to the radicalisation of Middle England, which is happening in no small part as mothers in similar towns up and down the country fear, or as in Epping simply experience, the rapid erosion of their treasured safety and familiarity. Some women might deride this as “bigoted”, especially if sufficiently rich or inured to big-city social norms to be puzzled by such distress. But far more are motivated not by ideology so much as looking after their own. And these women are on the warpath. The same outlet reports sympathetically on this group’s loss of felt safety, recently quoting Carly, 38, on the asylum hotel opened near her tiny Somerset village: “I don’t go out running any more because some of the men hang around in groups and they used to shout things out when I ran past them,” she said. “I found it very intimidating.” Why, such women might be forgiven for asking, should we give up our freedom to exercise outdoors alone? What, indeed, gives the Home Office the right to take away our teenage daughters’ confidence-building freedom to go out un-chaperoned? Accordingly, women now feature front and centre in asylum protests. And those in towns that still feel safe think: “This could be me next”. As they face this prospect, Middle England’s middle-aged mums are growing increasingly militant.