From UKIP to Brexit: The right-wing populist surge in the UK

Abstract

This chapter explores the right-wing populist surge in the UK in the last decade, examining its different manifestations before and after the 2016 EU referendum and pointing to a mainstreaming of right-wing populism which, in fact, is not new in Britain. First reflected by UKIP's unprecedented rise, this right-wing populist surge gradually extended to the mainstream with the Conservative party increasingly co-opting UKIP's right-wing populist rhetoric and ideas. This was illustrated by the referendum campaign which was marked by a mainstreaming of right-wing populism which appeared to resonate with the electorate as demonstrated by the victory of the Brexit vote. As the Conservative party tried to recapture this political ground post-referendum, it gradually repositioned itself as a radical right populist party, a realignment culminating in the crushing victory of Boris Johnson at the 2019 general election.