Values, Voice and Virtue: The New British Politics

(Paperback)

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What happens to a democracy when voters just won't do as they're told Over the last decade, Britain has been rocked by a series of political revolts. The rise of national populism, the vote for Brexit, Boris Johnson's emphatic 2019 election victory, the fall of Labour's Red Wall, the emergence of a very different brand of conservatism and the mayhem around 'The Year of Three Prime Ministers' have all outflanked the country's liberal establishment and stunned the world. In trying to make sense of this remarkable churn and change, many commentators cling to very short-term and unconvincing explanations, pointing to social media, dark money, individual leaders, or the promises made to voters. But, as acclaimed political scientist Matthew Goodwin reveals in this strikingly original study, this turbulence has been a long time in the making - and it is set to continue for many years to come. Embarking on a profound and wide-ranging analysis of postwar British politics, Goodwin shows how these revolts are all symptomatic of deeper shifts that are now rapidly reshaping our political world. He points to the rise of three new drivers over 'values', 'voice' and 'virtue', and shows how these uniquely powerful divides are now pushing us into a new era of political volatility.

Reviews

A single missile laser-targeted at a careless, feckless ruling elite who have ignored the wants and wills of the vast majority of voters ... The fundamental thrust of Goodwin's argument is right. ... a new centre ground of British politics is being formed - even if both parties have yet to fully comprehend it. -- Sebastian Payne * The Times *
Goodwin's central thesis is that the rise of the radical right, the Brexit referendum and Johnson's general election victory of 2019 are expressions of a deeper realignment in UK politics that pits the marginalised white working class, socially conservative older voters and the 'non-graduate majority' against a new elite of university-educated progressives. -- Nick Pearce * Financial Times *
This book is a valuable read for understanding better the cause of our recent democratic upheavals. -- Baroness Stowell * The House Magazine *
Hot property... [from] an insightful author and a trendsetting 'entrepreneurial academic', combining his scholarly work with writing punchy op-eds and making his case on TV and radio. -- Rakib Ehsan * CapX *

Author Bio

Matthew J. Goodwin is Professor of Politics at the University of Kent. The author of four books, including the Sunday Times bestseller National Populism, he appears regularly in print and broadcast media including the Sunday Times and the BBC. Goodwin has advised more than 200 organisations on political issues. He lives in London.