British Values, VJ Day, and the Rosebank Reckoning
By Aquayemi-Claude Akinsanya
Britain in 2025 feels like it’s living through a kind of culture whiplash. One day, we unite in moments of remembrance and respect marking VJ Day with the gravity and honour it deserves, reflecting on the sacrifices made for peace. The next day, we’re back to headlines about billion-pound tax breaks for fossil fuel giants, and plans to push forward with Rosebank the UK’s largest untapped oil field.
BBC News – Far-right Israeli minister taunts prominent Palestinian prisoner
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqxg3xg8xyyo
The contrast is jarring. We are told British values mean democracy, the rule of law, respect, and responsibility. But what do those values mean when leaders ignore court rulings, downplay environmental law, and gamble with public health during a climate emergency?
British Values in a Broken Britain
In my interviews with LBC and TalkTV, I’ve raised the same questions many are now asking:
- Where is the accountability when a project that will emit more CO₂ than 28 of the world’s lowest-income countries combined is still being considered?
- How can we talk about energy security when 80% of Rosebank’s oil is set to be exported?
- Why are public health risks being sidelined when our NHS is already under pressure from record heatwaves, air pollution, and rising cases of climate-linked illnesses?
The truth is simple: British values are only as strong as our willingness to apply them consistently not just when they’re politically convenient.
BBC News – King hails veterans’ courage and sacrifice on VJ Day
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y0lnzpqjgo
VJ Day: Remembering Sacrifice, Learning from History
VJ Day is about more than remembering the end of the Second World War it’s about honouring the sacrifices made for peace, stability, and a better life for the generations to come.
That promise is undermined if we allow projects like Rosebank to proceed, knowing they will accelerate climate breakdown, disrupt communities, and deepen global instability.
BBC News – Councillor cleared of encouraging violent behaviour
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjeykklwn7vo
The Rosebank U-Turn
What we’re witnessing is a dangerous cultural U-turn. The UK has legally committed to reaching net zero and signed up to the Paris Agreement yet continues to approve projects that drag us in the opposite direction.
BBC News – Cost of weight loss drug Mounjaro may rise significantly – BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ylppp2vj9o
It’s like celebrating the NHS one day, while approving policies that will inevitably increase disease, strain resources, and shorten lives the next. https://news.sky.com/story/queen-appears-emotional-following-off-script-comments-about-king-at-vj-event-13412250
Where We Go From Here
2025 has already seen a major legal victory when Scotland’s Court of Session ruled the government’s approval of Rosebank unlawful for failing to consider all emissions. But the fight is far from over.
Developers will try again, and ministers will face pressure to greenlight it. https://news.sky.com/liveblog-webview/trump-putin-summit-live-updates-latest-alaska-ukraine-war-talks-zelenskyy-12541713
We must remember: British values aren’t just about the past we honour they’re about the future we protect.
BBC News – Nigel Farage urges PM to appoint Reform peers to House of Lords – BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8der86r6n0o
BBC News – Lib Dems call for law review after Palestine Action arrests
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyr4yvd3d7o
Stopping Rosebank isn’t just about carbon budgets; it’s about protecting the air we breathe, the health of our communities, and the credibility of our democracy. https://www.patreon.com/posts/136563420
Written by Aquayemi-Claude Akinsanya | TCSL2022 x Styledbyclaude ©️
The Claudes SEN Law Campaign Blog 
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