English Nationalism and Its Ghost Towns

167 Pages·2022·1.386 MB·English

by  Luke Telford

‘Left liberals have for some time continually painted a
twisted, racist picture of working-class life and culture. Yet in
this fascinating and true-to-life text based on ethnographic
research, Dr Luke Telford, shows in real life this is not the case.
By immersing himself in a forgotten northern community,
he traces the words and feelings of the working class to the
deindustrialisation of the area and loss of respectable, well-paid
work coupled with the rise of inadequate and unrewarding jobs
in the exploitative and degenerative commercial sector. This,
he argues, sets the scene for the discontent and political anger.
A magnificent text and must read for anyone wanting to learn
about working class politics!’
Dr Daniel Briggs, Professor in Criminology,
Universidad Europea
‘Luke Telford offers a fresh and engaging perspective on rising
political dissatisfaction and nationalist sentiment. Drawing on
rich empirical data and sophisticated social theory, this book
thoroughly unpicks the thorny issue of English nationalism
whilst cutting through populist discourse. Heartfelt and honest,
this wonderfully written book gives voice to the frustrations
of those left behind by capitalism, and is essential reading for
anyone interested in navigating the turbulence of Brexit’.
Dr Justin Kotzé, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and
Criminal Justice, Teesside University

English Nationalism and
its Ghost Towns
In order to understand today’s nationalism, we need to address the
historical decline of working-class communities, the sense of loss brought
by deindustrialisation and how working-class people have been denied a
voice in society and politics. Discontent has manifested strongly in these
deprived post-industrial areas, often branded as communities that have
been left behind under neoliberal globalisation. Whilst more and more
people are voicing their discontent with a system that fails to provide social
security and economic stability, many researchers have branded them
merely as racists, xenophobes and ill educated. Although prejudices are
likely to play a part in all political outcomes, today’s dissatisfaction across
the West cannot be reduced to mere emotion and intolerance.
This book therefore utilises on-the-ground research with working-class
individuals in a Leave voting locale in Britain, exploring their discontent with
politicians, the Labour Party, the European Union, immigration, refugees
and the prolonged calls for a second referendum. It situates this sentiment
towards society and politics within the decline of capitalism’s post-war era
and the loss of well-paid industrial jobs, increase in non-unionised service
employment and the hollowing out of community spirit.
Dr Luke Telford is a lecturer in criminology at Staffordshire University.
Luke’s main interests include the rise of nationalism, deindustrialisation,
labour markets, the shift from post-war capitalism to neoliberalism,
consumerism and ultra-realist theory. Luke is a co-author of Lockdown:
Social harm in the Covid-19 era (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021) and the
e-book Researching the COVID-19 pandemic: A critical blueprint for the
social sciences (Policy Press, 2021).

English Nationalism and
its Ghost Towns
Luke Telford
Cover image: Cover image taken by Luke Telford
First published 2022
by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
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© 2022 Taylor & Francis
The right of Luke Telford to be identified as author of
this work has been asserted by them in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
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Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be
trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Telford, Luke, author.
Title: English nationalism and its ghost towns / Luke Telford.
Description: New York, NY : Routledge, 2022. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021054219 | ISBN 9781032056715 (pbk) |
ISBN 9781032056722 (hbk) | ISBN 9781003198666 (ebk)
Subjects: LCSH: Cities and towns. | Industries. | Nationalism.
Classification: LCC HT151 .T39 2022 | DDC 307.76—dc23/
eng/20211216
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021054219
ISBN: 978-1-032-05672-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-05671-5 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-19866-6 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003198666
Typeset in Garamond
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
Acknowledgements viii
Foreword ix
Introduction 1
1 History 13
2 Neoliberalism 32
3 The quest to understand nationalism 51
4 The industrial age 66
5 Absent futures 89
6 Nationalism 106
7 The past, present and future 137
Index 155
Acknowledgements
All individual achievements are collective efforts. As this book is based
upon my PhD studies, my greatest gratitude is expressed to Dr Anthony
Lloyd because his impact on both my professional and intellectual growth
is incalculable. He offered persistent encouragement and intellectual guid-
ance. He perpetually challenged my views of our social world, and he is
a prescient scholar. I also thank Dr Justin Kotzé, my second supervisor,
as Justin offered invaluable support and encouragement. I owe much to
Emeritus Professor Steve Hall. Since I met Steve during my postgradu-
ate studies, Steve has offered guidance, support and encouragement and
his intellect never ceases to amaze me. A big thanks also goes to Professor
Daniel Briggs, since Dan also provided guidance and had a big impact on
helping improve my narrative. My thanks also goes to other academics
who have helped shape the book’s arguments, including Professor James
Treadwell, Professor Simon Winlow, Dr Mark Bushell, Dr Anthony Ellis,
Dr Thomas Raymen, Dr Oliver Smith and Dr Jonathan Wistow.
My gratitude is expressed to the research participants for giving up their
time to speak to me. My thanks go to the NINE DTP ESRC for funding
the PhD project that underpins this book. I also thank my employer, Staf-
fordshire University, for giving me the time and space to think about our
social world and engage in writing projects like this book. Not a day goes
by where I don’t think that I am immensely privileged to be able to do so.
My gratitude is also expressed to Routledge and my editor Lewis Hodder.
I can’t thank Lewis enough for believing in this book from day 1 and offer-
ing guidance throughout the process.
I owe everything to my mam, Judith, and beautiful fiancée, Gemma.
Without my mam’s unwavering support, particularly in my troubled
teenage years, I would not be writing this. Indeed, Gemma has lived and
breathed this book with me and put up with bouts of long working hours.
I love you both more than you will ever know. I also thank my dad, nanna
and grandad for their support. Finally, I thank my little brother and leg-
end, Jack—time away from writing and watching football instead was
always a refreshing and enjoyable break.
Foreword
Since the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in
June 2016 and Donald Trump was elected as president of the United
States in November 2016, journalists, commentators and academics have
rushed to explain this seemingly sudden lurch to the political right. These
trends have been characterised as the return of fascism, authoritarianism,
nationalism and populism. For some, media-savvy charlatans have conned
the uneducated. For others, a racist underbelly has been revealed through
anti-immigrant sentiment, colonial nostalgia and a nationalist sense of
superiority. Some suggest those left behind by neoliberalism and globalisa-
tion have reminded the elites that they still exist. Political and cultural fault
lines have hardened, and debate has often been reduced to opposing sides
shouting past each other, unable or unwilling to listen and understand the
other side whilst remaining convinced of one’s own righteousness. These
political, social, economic and cultural developments represent an impor-
tant and historical moment that has called into question many conven-
tional wisdoms. Does nationalism represent a rejection of globalisation?
Are we seeing the beginning of a shrinking world? Is this the re-emergence
of fascism? Are we set for an authoritarian future? Are capitalism and liber-
alism now no longer in sync? Have we reached the nadir of neoliberalism?
Where are we going?
Much of the analysis that I have read over the last five years somehow
simultaneously agrees that it’s a complex issue and then posits a mono-
causal explanation. The Brexit vote was down to a lack of education. Trump
won because he appealed to an underlying racism. Cambridge Analytica
and Facebook are to blame. And so on. The reality is that these issues are
complex and there is no single underlying explanation. In this excellent
new book, Luke Telford demonstrates the value of understanding where
we have come from in order to both make sense of the present and look to
where we are heading. His analysis takes into account the fields of political
economy and culture, global trends and regional variations, communi-
ties, jobs and individual lives. His arguments are persuasive. If we want to
understand nationalist sentiment, we have to situate it within the context