Growing Anyway

 

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountains green?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?
By William Blake, Jerusalem (1804)

 

 

I was asked by The Islander to produce a drawing reflecting MP Rupert Lowe and his position against the establishment. I said yes. This isn’t about cheering or booing anyone it’s about showing what’s actually happening in British politics right now, as I see it.

In the centre of the drawing, Rupert Lowe stands holding the Union Jack, surrounded by a cross-section of British society: different religions, races, jobs, and walks of life, all representing the collective of England and Great Britain. He’s independent, with his own capital and convictions, which makes him unusual in Westminster. That’s what this piece is about how someone like him fits into the chaos around him, cutting through it without being consumed by it.

Around him, the scene is deliberately busy, showing the Westminster establishment in motion:

• A lifeboat in the bottom right is filling up with ex-Labour ministers and other disgraced politicians, including Lord Mandelson with his coat, trying to escape the collapse of their influence.
• Keir Starmer is depicted trying to navigate the red flag of Labour, holding emergency St George crosses to convert it quickly for appearances.
• MPs like Shabana Mahmood are performing mental gymnastics, balancing personal, professional, and party pressures, while David Lammy looks on, puzzled.
• Yvette Cooper floats in a hot air balloon held aloft by foreign energy, while her husband has stepped out to observe.
• Ed Miliband is being restrained by Alex Soros, highlighting the subtle pressures and influence that sometimes operate behind the scenes.
• The Green Party leader appears in a Donald Duck outfit with a watermelon, satirically representing how ideology and messaging can conflict.
• Meanwhile, the mainstream media cages are almost empty, suggesting a diminishing control over public perception.

These details are all small touches that show how individuals and institutions try to assert power, maintain appearances, or navigate contradictions but Rupert stands apart. He isn’t caught up in the theatre of Westminster; he’s acting independently, visibly aligned with the values of England and Great Britain.

The drawing also nods to English history. Independence, accountability, and civic duty have always shaped this country from the barons who forced the Magna Carta to early parliamentary reformers defending the rights of the people. Rupert, in this image, represents that same principle: an independent actor with resources and conviction, standing for the nation rather than global interests or corrupt families.

Growing Anyway is a snapshot of the present moment: political chaos, media theatre, and international pressures swirling around a small island with a proud, resilient population. It doesn’t pick a side, but it does show that independence, conviction, and connection to society are still powerful forces and that even in a messy world, figures like Rupert Lowe remind us what real accountability and action can look like.