Column, coinciding with Conservative Party conference, published in The Guardian.
‘The Tories have lost their ideology. Now they are merely the party of resentment’
‘How to be Prime Minister’
Article published in The London Review of Books, on Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn and Dominic Cummings.
Britain’s ‘asymmetric polarisation’
The LRB has published a round-table of contributions on the current crisis of British politics. I’ve focused on the worrying degree to which the radical right has now pulled away from the rest of the political spectrum, turning against compromise, parliament and Whitehall.
England’s new rentier alliance
Blogpost looking at how ‘no deal’ Brexit is driven by a coalition of asset-owners, without any interest in production or the future. (Reposted at The New Statesman)
Boris Johnson as PR offensive
Blogpost for PERC, looking at the propaganda and enforced optimism, which are central to the new Conservative Brexit strategy.
‘Reasons to be cheerful’
My piece in London Review of Books, on the Tory leadership contest and the lies that it generates.
‘A fanatical sect has hijacked British politics’
Op-ed published in The New York Times, on the Conservative leadership election.
‘Britain’s Nervous Breakdown’ – seminar recording
I joined Jeremy Gilbert for the Culture, Power and Politics open seminar, to discuss Brexit, Boris Johnson and the broader crisis of liberal democracy. Listen to an audio recording of the seminar here.
Review and interview with The Economist
I discussed Nervous States with Richard Cockett from The Economist, and the possible routes forward for an evidence-based politics.
‘They don’t even need ideas’
Essay on Brexit and the crisis of representative democracy, published in London Review of Books.
Interview with FT Alphaville
This podcast interview with Jamie Powell and Thomas Hale explores central themes from Nervous States, especially in relation to economics and economic policy.
‘The funny side of politics’
Article published in openDemocracy on the convergence of comedy and politics.
‘Calm Down Dear’ – how angry should politics get
I too part in this discussion with Fern Riddell, Kehinde Andrews and Jo Ann Nadler at the Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival, recorded at the Sage Gateshead, now available from Radio 3
Essay: Populism & the Limits of Neoliberalism
The surge in so-called ‘populism’ over the past year, largely of a right-wing variety, has provoked an ongoing debate as to how we should characterise its central driver. To put this somewhat crudely (though not much more crudely than some of the debate’s protagonists), the choice comes down to a simple binary: economics or culture? Class or identity? An awkward new category of ‘the left behind’ has emerged in political discourse to capture the unexpected supporters of Donald Trump, Brexit, Marine Le Pen and other nationalist movements. Continue reading “Essay: Populism & the Limits of Neoliberalism”
