The contemporary political landscape is characterized by extreme polarization, and that’s not only in Britain or the US. The outcome of the election in the United Kingdom is just one more piece of evidence of a pernicious trend that has increasingly infested liberal democracies — extreme polarization. While it will take some time to get… Continue reading “The Extremes Win Today’s Elections”
Last month saw more than 900 million eligible voters at the ballot box in the world’s largest democracy. India’s national election once again resulted in the landslide victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). When visiting the UK last year, Modi stated that Brexit offers opportunities to increase… Continue reading “Why are British Indians more likely than other ethnic minority group to support Brexit?”
What this tells people is that you’re either with us or against us. And if you’re against us then you’re fair game. The last few weeks has seen an explosion in the use of the word “fascism”; both online and offline. This has been all the more poignant this week as the Allied forces commemorate… Continue reading “Don’t throw the word ‘fascism’ around with abandon”
“The vote starkly demonstrates… the splintering and polarization of the electoral base across Europe. However, it also indicates a new, if disruptive, re-engagement by citizens in politics.” With the highest turnout in 20 years, European voters had a chance to express their support for a broad range of parties in the recently completed European Parliament… Continue reading “Euro-election results 2019: a wake-up call to traditional parties”
If social media is anything to go by, it is likely the number of Google searches for the lyrics to Kelis’ well-known hit, “Milkshake” will have increased dramatically. As Nigel Farage, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) and Carl Benjamin (aka Sargon of Akkad) have been repeatedly doused in milkshakes from a range of different outlets… Continue reading “Milkshaking the Radical Right: humiliation not violence”
In 2019, Oswald Mosley’s European vision does not feel so distant, as current affairs increasingly come to resemble the darker parts of history. Euroskepticism is often discussed, particularly in the context of the ongoing Brexit debate, as a right-wing political cause. However, the recent maneuverings of the European authoritarian right ahead of the EU parliamentary… Continue reading “Dark Visions: The Historical Precursor to Europe’s Radical Right”
In today’s CARR insights blog, Senior Fellow Professor Ruth Wodak is interviewed by the Another Europe podcast team – looking at Britain’s relationship with Europe. As the extension is granted, but with no end in sight to the parliamentary deadlock, Co-host Luke Cooper is joined by Ruth Wodak, distinguished emeritus professor at the University of… Continue reading “Britain Alone: The self-inflicted darkest hour”
Those of us living in Britain today, whether we originally hail from these shores or not, are only too aware that we are living through a major historical moment. Those of us involved in analysing the radical right are also very conscious of the fact that, whatever deal is (or isn’t) reached between Britain and… Continue reading “Nazi Analogies Won’t Help Counter Radical Right Agendas in Post-Brexit Britain”
There is a certain irony of anti-European far-right groups in the UK utilizing and reproducing the promotion of French nationalism through the symbolic yellow vests. The so-called yellow vests, or the gilets jaunes — the original name given to the protesters adorned in high-visibility jackets who have been marching and rioting across France since November 2018 — have… Continue reading “Yellow Vests: The Irony of Transnational Nationalism”
Placating radical right rhetoric will not stop the EDL, Pegida and the rest of the angry acronym brigade. If you want a definition of not being able to see the wood for the trees, look no further than those who are spending their time arguing over whether ‘no Brexit’ or ‘no deal’ would be the… Continue reading “Pandering To The Far Right Is No Way To Counter Them”