Prior to the word/s I can't understand there was a discussion on what the historical sources of British individual civil freedoms have been. A few of the reasons given for these British values have included things such as the Magna Carta, the Parliamentary system etc.
Along comes Peter Hitchens and says:
It's fascinating the way all these British values merchants are so coy about the real basis of the liberty which we enjoy, which is the particular form of Protestant Christianity which this country adopted, which created in people the strength of conscience, the self-restraint, the belief, very strongly, that law should be above power because the law derives ultimately from God. That is what actually makes this country what it is, but they won't talk about that because many of them are not Christians, many of them are active secularists, and many of them are nominal Christians and they don't really believe these things. That's what made us what we are and made us the kind of country we are, and to try and generalise this into some human rights (incomprehensible) is to make a fundamental mistake as to how it came about...
The word I can't understand is marked (incomprehensible) in the above transcription.
The word definitely sounds French to me. I first thought it could possibly be "melange", but I don't think he's saying that. Then I discovered there's a French dessert called blancmange, which actually is pronounced in a way resembling the words he spoke, so it's possible he's said this. However I can't find any definition of "blancmange" other than:
(Cookery) a jelly-like dessert, stiffened usually with cornflour and set in a mould
Collins Dictionary
I've checked a bunch of dictionaries and this is the only definition I can find. "Blancmange" comes from the French "blanc" (white) and "manger" (food/eating).
If he is actually saying this word, I can't understand a metaphoric way in which it's used. I really don't understand. Does anybody understand what he's saying?
Here is how "blancmange" is pronounced.
And here is the video in which Peter Hitchens speaks this word.
Note, both Peter Hitchens and his late brother use/used a wide vocabulary when speaking, and many terms are obscure or foreign or just generally hard to catch sometimes.
