Populism, “community” and political culture: The revenge of the liberal elite

Abstract

This chapter examines the response of the transnational liberal elite to the rise of ‘populist’ appeals, arguing that the apparent disapproval of this development is not an indication that leading establishment figures are socially progressive, but rather that they object to a form of politics that threatens their own ability to maintain the conditions needed for capitalist accumulation. The chapter examines the use of the term community, and relates this both to the rhetoric used during the UK’s 2017 General Election, and to the form of political discourse introduced by Tony Blair. It also considers the attempt to conflate the populism of Right and Left, arguing that the elite is just as prone to the use of populist tactics as its insurgent rivals.