The localist turn in British politics and its critics

Abstract

Localism has become a central feature of British political debate in recent years. This article traces the emergence and development of localism within all the three major UK parties – Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats – and seeks to explain why this transformation has taken place. Localism involves a radical ideological critique of the central state and seeks to replace it with more local forms of political organisation. In particular, this article distinguishes between ‘liberal’ and ‘communitarian’ forms of localism. Finally, this article evaluates the strength of localist claims to both empower individuals and allow for the expression of communal identity, concluding that there are fundamental flaws in localist arguments which allow for the re-emergence of the central state as a key actor.

Keywords:

• localism
• ideology
• British politics
• community
• empowerment
• the state

Notes on contributor

Dr Kevin Hickson is Senior Lecturer in British Politics at the University of Liverpool, UK.