Nick Cohen talks to Ed Hodgson from the More in Common think-tank about growing concerns over the potential shift towards extreme right-wing politics by Nigel Reform & his latest insurgent party Reform and the implications for British society and the political landscape. Ed Hodgson explores divisions in British society and the rise of the Reform, while examining public sentiment towards immigration policies and the challenges facing Labour under Keir Starmer's leadership. The conversation concluded with an analysis of the current political dynamics, including the complexities of the British electoral system and the challenges of polling and predicting future elections.

Farage's Right-Wing Political Shift

Nick and Ed discuss Reform's potential shift towards extreme right-wing politics, citing Farage's recent proposals to abolish indefinite leave to remain and his embrace of pseudoscientific claims. He argues that Farage's rhetoric is being influenced by Trump and that the British media and political class have not adequately recognised this shift. Ed and Nick discuss ways in which mainstream parties can counter the toxic messaging from the extreme right and & its apparently unstoppable rise. these divisions in British society and the need to address extremism.

Farage Trump worship could backfire

Ed says Farage's craven worship of Donald Trump and his copying out of the worst of MAGA excesses - particularly on prurient and untrue allegations again migrants - could backfire among Brits who increasingly see the US as a hositle power, adding, "...people who say America is an ally in Britain has fallen to less than half. Right. In America, More than 80% of Americans think that Britain is an ally. So there's this weird sort of one way relationship going on, at least in a public opinion perspective, where Americans still feel very close to Britain and Britain's in many way do feel quite close to America."

More in Common is a think-tank that seeks to understand polarisation and to work on initiatives to tackle division in our society. The innovative and extensive research we have carried out in the UK forms the basis of our efforts to tackle division.

Ed Hodgson @edhodgsoned is deputy director for More in Common in 2022 @Moreincommon. Ed manages More in Common UK's polling function on a day-to-day basis, and has led More in Common's in-depth research into topics such as assisted dying, Progressive Activists, the Israel-Gaza war, and tackling climate change.

Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond.

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Let's face it - Labour inherited a total shit show after 14 years of Tory misrule - an economy crippled by Brexit, immigration chaos, turds in our rivers and seas, and rapidly deteriorating public services. But - inevitably - it's Sir Keir Starmer who's getting the blame for the country's woes, thanks mainly to the the fickleness of the electorate as well as the country's evident decline. But Labour seems to have bent over backwards to help its opponents with self-inflicted wounds such as inept communications, avoidable scandal and bouts of epic political bungling.

As the Labour Party Conference gets under way next weekend, Nick Cohen talks to Keir Starmer's biographer Tom Baldwin about the prime minister's leadership position within the Labour Party, examining the PM's challenges and potential future in politics.

Labour needs to expose the malice and plastic patriotism of the Far Right

Nick and Tom discuss the current state of Labour's position, focusing on whether Sir Keir Starmer's leadership is in jeopardy. They highlighted Labour's low vote share in the 2024 election and recent poor opinion poll ratings, including a recent approval rating of minus 54 for Keir Starmer. The discussion touches on the potential leadership challengers within the Labour Party, including, possibly the current metro-mayor for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, with Nick noting the historic difficulty of replacing a sitting Prime Minister, particularly in the Labour Party. In contrast, as we know, the Tories have never had any problem knifing their leaders in the back - or front.

Both Tom and Nick explore the broader topic of combating the far right in politics. Tom says Starmer should articulate Labour values more forcefully and espouse his own more gentle and inclusive version of patriotism in stark contrast to the nationalist bombast of Nigel Farage and and the more sinister extremism of Tommy Robinson/Yaxley-Lennon.

Starmer needs to articulate & lead national renewal

Tom says Starmer needs to be able to convincingly argue for a gentle and inclusive patriotism, to lead a sense of national renewal and take on the plastic patriots of Farage and the far right, He says, "It's not some sepia-tinted restoration of the past. It's not some like we're going to like back ruling the waves like Boris Johnson pretended, or you where the country invented liberties. So we don't need to be members of the ECHR or this nonsense."

The paperback version of Tom's must-read bestseller, Keir Starmer, the biography, is out now with updated chapters.

Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nick Cohen and Anne Applebaum discuss the current state of democracy in the United States and Europe, focusing on the rise of populism and identity politics, while exploring how political figures maintain support despite policy failures. They examined the systematic dismantling of American institutions under Trump's administration, including attacks on the civil service and potential weakening of military capabilities, while also discussing the emerging alliance between authoritarian states opposed to American influence. The conversation concluded with a discussion of the current state of American politics, including the narrow margins in recent elections and the need for effective opposition strategies to defend democratic values both in the U.S. and across Europe.

Democracy's Challenges in Populist Era

Anne and Nick talk about the current state of democracy in the United States and Europe, focusing on the rise of populism and the shift towards identity politics. Anne highlighted how political figures like Nigel Farage in the UK and Donald Trump in the US have maintained support despite policy failures, attributing it to the emotional appeal of their cultural identities. They explored the question of whether real-world issues like inflation and healthcare are now less important than online cultural battles. Andrew asked Anne about the dangers facing American democracy, to which she responded that it is indeed in danger, but the outcome is still uncertain.

The UK must wake up to the MAGA reality!

Anne argues that the UK should wake up to the new reality - Powerful elements at the top of the Trump White House & MAGA not only consider the so-called "special relationship" as not only over but see the UK as an enemy. Anne says, there's a very powerful strain. Inside this administration and inside the American far right who really hate Britain. And they hate Europeans and they hate the Germans. ... there's a constant narrative about how the British violate free speech and how, you know, Britain is, an extreme left country and so on."

She says, " I'm not saying they dominate this administration, and you won't hear this from Marco Rubio, but there is a strain inside MAGA, which essentially reflects Russian propaganda. ... there's a piece of, of that movement that doesn't really want anything to do with Britain or Europe anymore....I would watch out for that and as I said, have a contingency plan and think about a world in which the United States is run by people who are hostile to Britain."

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