Not so long ago, the ‘far-right’ were an easy group of people to identify. They didn’t even need to open their mouths, although they were invariably keen to do so.

The far-right often wore uniforms, from the Nazis with their borderline fetish wear to the Ku Klux Klan and their shoddily tailored bedsheets. Others sported less formal attire, like steel toe-capped boots which looked as if they’d take about half an hour to lace up.

The term ‘far-right’ has progressively been devalued over the years (along with the words ‘legend’ and ‘iconic’). Where the description used to apply to the sort of idiots in matching costumes mentioned above, it is now used as a cheap attempt to shut down any political argument (or even non-political arguments).

Cross the wrong people on social media these days and you might find yourself lumped in with Hitler for complaining about the BBC, finding Carol Vorderman a bit annoying, or even moaning about missed bin collections.

The far-right were always painted as a ruthless and highly organised bunch - probably because of the strict dress code - but it all seems to have gone badly wrong for them during the recent riots.

Many of those ominously referred to as ‘far-right’ on news bulletins appeared incapable of forming any kind of thought you would flatter by placing it on the political spectrum. A lot of them looked as if they’d just been shuffling along to the corner shop in their slippers when they decided to randomly lob a few bricks because everyone else was doing it.

Apart from the obvious criminality, these idiots also play into the false narrative that the country is being overrun by neo-Nazis and that only self-appointed ‘progressives’ with clumsily-worded placards can save us. Rik Mayall’s character in TV comedy The Young Ones is proving eerily prescient 40 years later, as we now have so many real-life ‘activists’ who think the answer to all our problems is to run around shouting ‘FASCIST!’ at everyone.

The debate around immigration has long been hijacked by those on the extremes, becoming a depressing stand-off characterised by fear, name-calling, misinformation, self-loathing and self-righteousness, with sensible voices shut out. A lot of people - on both sides - were out on the streets over the summer simply because they’ve never grown out of playground fights (and the weather was nice), not because they had anything useful to say.

But if they were just expecting a stern telling off from the headteacher like in the old days, a few months in prison will come as a bit of a shock. At least they’ll get to wear a uniform.