Chloe Currens, senior commissioning editor at Penguin Press, has bought UK & Commonwealth rights to This England: Nation, Identity and Belonging by Matthew Goodwin, in a deal with Charlie Brotherstone at BCM.
The book will be published by Pelican in the UK.
This England offers a passionate and polemical account of why Britain has been coming apart at the seams and what needs to be done to bring it back together.
Drawing on a wealth of compelling evidence, Goodwin argues that Brexit was only ever a symptom of a deeper divide that has been unfolding for decades and that traditional class-based divisions between left and right are making way for a new and far more potent divide, which is far more about culture than economics.
Stepping back from day-to-day debates, This England explores the bigger picture and long-term trends in British politics and society, weaving these insights into global debates about democracy, populism, inequality, immigration and polarisation.
Matthew Goodwin is an award-winning and bestselling author and academic. He is Professor of Political Science at the University of Kent and Senior Visiting Fellow at Chatham House. He is the author of six books, including the 2018 Pelican, National Populism, which was a Sunday Times bestseller and listed among the Financial Times politics books of the year. He was also co-author of the 2015 Political Book of the Year, Revolt on the Right, which was long-listed for the Orwell Prize and Brexit: Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union, the first major study of the Brexit vote, published by Cambridge University Press.
Goodwin said: “I am delighted to be working again with the exceptional Penguin team on This England. Chloe Currens and Tom Penn at Penguin worked with me to deliver the recent Sunday Times bestseller National Populism and they are the best in the business. This England explores the nation’s changing culture and politics at a critical moment in our history. The book jumps in at the deep end to explore some of the most challenging and pressing questions that face the English today. Who are we? What holds us together? And where are we heading in the future?”
Chloe Currens added “I’m delighted to be publishing Matthew Goodwin again with this powerful and necessary new book. In an era of intensifying polarisation, This England is a vital intervention. It speaks with equal urgency to both the left and the right as it addresses the stark divisions – between Leave and Remain; the ‘new elite’ and the ‘left behind’ – that have emerged in recent years. Matt’s bold analysis comes with a heartening vision for compromise, which might help us all navigate our radically changed political landscape for decades to come."
Brotherstone added: This is an exciting next book for Matthew and one which he couldn’t be better positioned to write. His ability to cut through complex issues and deliver sharp analysis has seen him become a go-to authority on UK politics, and he has proved himself to be an accurate forecaster of a world in flux. This England will be a fascinating account of the country’s past, present and future, which will appeal to British and international readers alike. I am thrilled he will be reunited with the excellent team at Penguin.
Publication is scheduled for autumn 2021.
A crucial new guide to one of the most urgent political phenomena of our time: national populism. And a Sunday Times Bestseller.
The Economist said: "Intelligence...counterintuitive...[ranging] far beyond Brexit and Britain...they put a parochial debate in a much bigger context"
The Daily Telegraph said: "A reality check to any clinging to the hope that populism is a passing political squall...Goodwin is one of the few academics to be vindicated by the political trends of the past few years. With a forensic grasp of the detail...[they] show how commentators have succumbed to "stereotypes" that correspond with their outlook rather than evidence-based conclusions"
The Sunday Timessaid: "A fascinating new study ... the authors analyse the long-term demographic and socioeconomic trends shaping our age of upheaval. The attraction of this book lies in its cool, dispassionate tone. The authors intend to explain and inform rather than polemicise."
Across the West, there is a rising tide of people who feel excluded, alienated from mainstream politics, and increasingly hostile towards minorities, immigrants and neo-liberal economics. Many of these voters are turning to national populist movements, which have begun to change the face of Western liberal democracy, from the United States to France, Austria to the UK.
This radical turn, we are told, is a last howl of rage from an ageing electorate on the verge of extinction. Their leaders are fascistic and their politics anti-democratic; their existence a side-show to liberal democracy. But this version of events, as Roger Eatwell and Matthew Goodwin show, could not be further from the truth.
Written by two of the foremost experts on fascism and the rise of national populism, this lucid and deeply-researched book is a vital guide to our transformed political landscape. Challenging conventional wisdoms, Eatwell and Goodwin make a compelling case for serious, respectful engagement with the supporters and ideas of national populism - not least because it is a tide that won't be stemmed anytime soon.
In June 2016, the United Kingdom shocked the world by voting to leave the European Union. As Brexit reveals, the historic vote for Brexit marked the culmination of trends in domestic politics and in the UK's relationship with the EU that have been building over many years. Drawing on a wealth of survey evidence collected over more than ten years, this book explains why most people decided to ignore much of the national and international community and vote for Brexit. Drawing on past research on voting in major referendums in Europe and elsewhere, a team of leading academic experts analyse changes in the UK's party system that were catalysts for the referendum vote, including the rise of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), the dynamics of public opinion during an unforgettable and divisive referendum campaign, the factors that influenced how people voted and the likely impact of this historic decision.
'It would be hard to come up with a better line-up of analysts to dig into both the long- and short-term drivers of Britain's decision to leave the EU. Whether you're a Leaver or a Remainer, the vote for Brexit needs explaining - and this is just the book to do it.' Tim Bale, Queen Mary University of London and author of The Conservative Party from Thatcher to Cameron
'Do not read Brexit - unless you want truth rather than propaganda, objectivity rather than bias and evidence rather than prejudice. Harold D. Clarke, Matthew Goodwin and Paul F. Whiteley have written a book that will still be standing when the post-truth claims of those on both sides of the referendum have rightly crumbled to dust.'Peter Kellner, former President of YouGov 'Clarke, Goodwin and Whiteley have written what is sure to be a standard reference on Brexit. A wonderfully written history of the rise of the UKIP and the Brexit referendum lead to a diverse array of empirical analyses: a survey of UKIP members, longitudinal national surveys and pre-post referendum surveys. Instead of simple explanations, they show the variety of diverse factors that produced the final referendum outcome and discuss the implications for British politics going forward.'Russell J. Dalton, University of California, Irvine
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 Revolt on the Right 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.
Winner of the 2015 Political Book of the Year, longlisted for the Orwell Prize and selected by academics as among the most influential twenty books in modern Britain.
"...one of the most important books on British politics to have appeared for many years." Professor Vernon Bogdanor, Kings College London
"Revolt on the Right is a rich and insightful dissection of Britain's first new major political force in a generation. Ford and Goodwin combine rigorous yet accessible statistical analysis of UKIP's supporters with unprecedented access to party activists and leaders. They paint a detailed portrait of the social forces driving UKIP's emergence and how the party itself has developed to mobilise a new mass electorate. This book is essential reading for anyone looking to understand this fascinating, and potentially disruptive, new force in British politics." Anthony Heath, University of Oxford and University of Manchester. "This book presents an insightful and highly informative analysis of the most significant independent challenge to the existing party system in England. It is a must read for anyone interested in the future of British politics."John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University and a research consultant for ScotCen Social Research
"As the first serious study of the biggest challenge to the political status quo in 30 years, Revolt on the Right will be hard to better. It is both a garish picture of what the British right looks like when it has had one beer too many, and a sympathetic and occasionally touching account of the frustrations of the white working class voters progressive culture and conservative economics have decided they can do without."Nick Cohen, The Observer
"Ford and Goodwin haven’t just talked to everyone who counts and crunched all the data that’s out there. They’ve produced a really approachable book on a party which, by providing disoriented and disillusioned voters with the alternative they’ve been looking for, may well make a big impact at the next election and beyond." Tim Bale, Professor of Politics, Queen Mary University of London, author of The Conservative Party: From Thatcher to Cameron
"Revolt on the Right is not just a timely and fascinating book; it is also an important one: the first detailed study of one of the most significant developments in modern British politics – the rise of UKIP, which not only taps into popular discontent with the European Union, but has emerged as Britain’s first major non-toxic party to the right of the Conservatives." Peter Kellner, President of YouGov
"Vital for anyone studying modern British politics seriously."Ben Page, Chief Executive of Ipsos MORI
"A forensic insight into the explosive rise of Britain's radical right, packed full of compelling research and first-rate analysis. A must-read for all those interested in the state of modern Britain." Owen Jones, columnist for The Independent and author of CHAVS: The Demonization of the Working Class.
"This is an outstanding contribution to understanding contemporary politics: a rigorous assessment of the attitudes and demographics of UKIP voters as well as a brilliant story of the people and feuds behind the disorderly rise of a popular movement."John Rentoul, Chief Political Commentator, The Independent on Sunday.
The UK Independence Party (Ukip) is the most significant new force in British politics for a generation. Under the leadership of Nigel Farage, the party has enjoyed a remarkable rise, winning the 2014 European Parliament elections as well as two parliamentary by-elections, and attracting mainstream defectors to achieve major party status. By the time of the 2015 general election, Farage and Ukip stood on the threshold of becoming a major force at Westminster. This book a must-read for anyone interested in the inside story of Ukip's quest to change British politics during one of the most unpredictable and dramatic elections in recent history. Based on unprecedented access to the party and its key players, the book pulls back the curtain on one of the most intriguing campaigns in memory. It includes behind the scenes observations from the campaign trail and more than one hundred interviews - with Ukip insiders such as Nigel Farage, Douglas Carswell, and Mark Reckless, as well as major donors and strategists from across the landscape as they grappled with Ukip's rise.
Matthew Goodwin and Caitlin Milazzo reveal what really happened during the 2015 election campaign and in the by-elections and defections which preceded it, providing detailed accounts of the critical moments that shaped both the election itself and British politics more widely. The book also makes extensive use of British Election Study data from over five decades to answer important questions about the rise of Ukip and what it signifies. Who voted for Ukip and why? How are political loyalties in Britain changing over time? What are the deeper currents that have made Ukip's rise possible and will continue to shape its future? And what does the party's campaign for power reveal about the current evolution of British politics and society?
"[A] path-breaking study". David Marquand, New Statesman
"Goodwin and Milazzo tell the story of UKIPs remarkable rise and provide the analysis needed to understand why it happened. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what has proven to be a major challenge to the conventional order of British party politics",John Curtice, University of Strathclyde
"A remarkably readable and well-informed work. It tells in a penetrating but objective way how Nigel Farage built a party from almost nothing to... winning four million votes (but only one seat) at Westminster. Anyone seeking to understand how the familiar regularities of British politics have so recently come under challenge should read this objective and well-informed study", Sir David Butler
"Both a very good bit of political science and a comedy classic", Daniel Finkelstein, The Times
"Goodwin and Milazzo tell their tale with brio and a fine journalistic eye for the good story ... They are particularly good on the Ukip threat to Labour", Philip Collins, The Times
"These are the best academic minds on the subject",John Rentoul, Independent
"Matthew Goodwin and Caitlin Milazzo meticulously map UKIP's politics and appeal in their book UKIP: Inside the Campaign to Redraw the Map of British Politics - essential reading ahead of the Euro Referendum in which UKIP will no doubt feature strongly",Mark Perryman, Huffington Post UK
"The author's account of the election risks giving political science a good name. It is better sourced than any journalistic version of the same events I have read and has a commitment to narrative rare in academic writing ... Goodwin and Milazzo have an eye for the telling detail".Oliver Wiseman, Standpoint
"With impressive insider access to the major players in UKIP and a wide sweep of polling data the book presents a powerful account of an insurgent political party", The Ruralist
"The closeness of the authors to UKIP's campaign really does allow for a blow-by-blow account of the trials and tribulations of the party's breakthrough year", Melanie Onn, Labour Progress
"I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying @GoodwinMJ book about the UKIP election campaign. Amusing and entertaining!" Douglas Carswell, on Twitter
"A neat balance between insider account and expert analysis, this is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand Ukip―the bad boy of British politics",Tim Bale, author of Five Year Mission: The Labour Party under Ed Miliband)