Why Populists Are Winning - by Liam Byrne (Hardcover)

About the Book

Armed with original research from across Europe and America, Liam Byrne explains why populism has seduced voters worldwide, unpacks the five keys to populist appeal and offers a game-plan for defeating populism and saving democracy

Book Synopsis

Populism is winning. Can it be stopped?

From Trump to Le Pen, from Brexit to AfD, populists are rewriting the rules of politics, stoking division and promising a return to 'common sense' leadership. Their message electrifies millions who feel left behind, unheard and fearful of the future. But behind the slogans lies a dangerous truth: populism isn't the solution - it's the road to ruin.

So how do we fight back?

In this urgent and provocative book, Liam Byrne dissects the five core tactics of the populist playbook and lays out a bold strategy to defeat them. Drawing on cutting-edge research from across the UK, US, France and Germany - including brand new studies of populist voters - he reveals why simply shouting louder won't work. Instead, mainstream politics must evolve, channelling the rage that fuels populism into a revitalised Radical Centre.

By drawing connections between growing inequality and the populists' clarion call for a 'revolt against elites', Byrne unveils the uncomfortable answers behind - and transformative strategies to tackle - the defining crises of our time.

Smart, sharp, and packed with real-world solutions, WHY POPULISTS ARE WINNING is a call to action for anyone who refuses to surrender the future to fear.

About the Author

The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP chairs the House of Commons Business and Trade Select Committee and the Global Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. He served in the Cabinet in 10 Downing Street and Her Majesty's Treasury. An Honorary Professor of Social Science at the University of Birmingham, Liam was the 2024-2025 Visiting Parliamentary Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford. He was a Fulbright scholar at the Harvard Business School and Gwilym Gibbon Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford. He has represented Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North since 2004. Liam's latest book, THE INEQUALITY OF WEALTH: WHY IT MATTERS AND HOW TO FIX IT, was published in 2024 and shortlisted for a Westminster Book Award.