Revolt on the Right: Explaining Support for the Radical Right in Britain (Routledge Studies in Extremism and Democracy)

Winner of the Political Book of the Year Award 2015 The UK Independence Party (UKIP) is the most significant new party in British politics for a generation. In recent years UKIP and their charismatic leader Nigel Farage have captivated British politics, media and voters. Yet both the party and the roots of its support remain poorly understood. Where has this political revolt come from? Who is supporting them, and why? How are UKIP attempting to win over voters? And how far can their insurgency against the main parties go? Drawing on a wealth of new data – from surveys of UKIP voters to extensive interviews with party insiders – in this book prominent political scientists Robert Ford and Matthew Goodwin put UKIP's revolt under the microscope and show how many conventional wisdoms about the party and the radical right are wrong. Along the way they provide unprecedented insight into this new revolt, and deliver some crucial messages for those with an interest in the state of British politics, the radical right in Europe and political behaviour more generally. Since 2009, The Uk Independence Party (ukip) Has Become The Most Successful Challenger To The Main Parties In Postwar English Politics. Yet With The Radical Right On The Rise, Important Questions Remain Unanswered. What Trends In Modern Britain Have Made The Rise Of Ukip Possible? How Has The Party Modified Its Organization, Strategy And Ideology In The Quest To Forge Ties With Voters? Who Is Voting For The Populist Radical Right In Britain, And Why? To What Extent, If At All, Are Ukip Supporters The Mirror Image Of Radical Right Voters In Europe, And Where Might The Party Go Next? Based On An Unprecedented Amount Of Data, From Surveys Of Ukip Voters To Extensive Interviews With Ukip Insiders, Robert Ford And Matthew Goodwin Explore The Wider Trends That Gave Birth To Ukip, How The Party Has Evolved, And Who Is Shifting Behind Ukip At Elections. The Book Provides Unprecedented Insight Into Public Support For The Radical Right In Britain, And Contains Important Insights For Those Who Are Tasked With Responding To The Radical Right Challenge-- A Single-issue Pressure Group -- Becoming A Serious Contender -- Origins: A Long Time Coming -- The Social Roots Of The Revolt -- The Motive For Rebelling -- Overcoming Barriers To Entry -- The Paradoxes And Potential Of Ukip's Revolt. Robert Ford And Matthew J. Goodwin. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Since 2009, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) has become the most successful challenger to the main parties in postwar English politics. Yet with the radical right on the rise, important questions remain unanswered. What trends in modern Britain have made the rise of UKIP possible? How has the party modified its organization, strategy and ideology in the quest to forge ties with voters? Who is voting for the populist radical right in Britain, and why? To what extent, if at all, are UKIP supporters the mirror image of radical right voters in Europe, and where might the party go next? Based on an unprecedented amount of data, from surveys of UKIP voters to extensive interviews with UKIP insiders, Robert Ford and Matthew Goodwin explore the wider trends that gave birth to UKIP, how the party has evolved, and who is shifting behind UKIP at elections. The book provides unprecedented insight into public support for the radical right in Britain, and contains important insights for those who are tasked with responding to the radical right challenge"-- Provided by publisher Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of figures List of tables Preface List of abbreviations Introduction 1. A single-issue pressure group 2. Becoming a serious contender 3. Origins: a long time coming 4. The social roots of the revolt 5. The motive for rebelling 6. Overcoming the barriers to entry 7. The paradoxes and potential of UKIP’s revolt Appendix: Data and methods: analysing UKIP’s voters Index