UKIP and the Left Behind: What a New Party Tells Us About Modern Britain

Political scientist Matthew Goodwin asks: who is voting for the party, why, and what do these changing political loyalties tell us about the current state of British politics and society?

Since 2010, the UK Independence Party has mounted one of the most successful challenges to the established parties in modern British history. As in other European states, and since before the economic crisis, the radical right is forging strong links with particular social groups. And yet, behind the headlines we still know little about the forces that underpin this insurgency. At the RSA, Matthew Goodwin draws on new research to chart how Britain has changed over the past five decades, and to identify the forces that are fuelling this 'revolt on the right', and considers what all of this tells us about the current direction of modern Britain.

Speaker: Matthew Goodwin, associate professor at the School of Politics & International Relations, University of Nottingham.

Chair: Anthony Painter, director, Independent Review of the Police Federation