Book announcement (open access available)
Political Racism
Brexit and its Aftermath
Martin Shaw
Newcastle upon Tyne: Agenda Publishing, 2022
Hard copy
PDF
“Shaw tackles a
difficult issue – one
that tends to be
played down when
we discuss
supposedly
'mainstream' British
politics – with skill,
subtlety and an
admirable refusal to
resort to euphemism.
Anyone seeking a
deeper
understanding of
how Brexit came to
pass should read this
book and take its
argument seriously.”
- Tim Bale, Professor
of Politics, Queen
Mary University of
London
Caption
“A necessary and robust intervention challenging our reticence to speak candidly about
the uses of race and racism in contemporary political discourse. Authored by an eminent
and accomplished scholar, this book will be of interest to a broad audience.” - Nasar Meer,
Professor of Race, Identity and Citizenship, University of Edinburgh
“Political Racism is a vital intervention which confronts what most studies of
contemporary British politics conveniently elide: the mobilization of new and old forms of
racism for political ends. Shaw meticulously documents the lingering Powellism and
reconstituted racisms which have been activated in Brexit-era politics and persisted
throughout the Johnson administration. This book is a solid serving of evidence in the
otherwise mystifying field of political science which remains intent on avoiding the 'R'
word.” - Lisa Tilley, SOAS University of London
“If you have wondered what role racism played in the Brexit referendum, this book is a
must-read. Martin Shaw offers a new way of thinking about racism, which is essential to
our understanding of modern British politics and society. He charts the rise of racialised
politics in the UK and explains why immigration increasingly became an issue in a society
that traditionally had been more accepting of migrants. This book challenges our
understanding of concepts like racism, xenophobia, nationalism and nativism and
explains how political racism can hide in plain sight.” - Maike Bohn, co-founder of
the3million