“Stop the boats”: populist contagion and migration policymaking in the UK

Abstract

This paper argues that the Rwanda Policy was the continuation of a populist contagion process that is leading to a longer-lasting radicalization of the UK Conservatives. It examines leading Conservative politicians (Johnson, Sunak, Braverman, Patel, Cleverly), showing how they incorporated all elements of populist radical right narratives (i.e. people-centrism, anti-elitism, popular sovereignty, authoritarianism and nativism) in their justification of the offshoring policy. The study contributes to the literature on populism by empirically mapping the “when”, “how” and “why” of populist narratives incorporation, particularly in relation to the obfuscation of racism. It evidences the extent of influence that populist ideas can exert on mainstream parties regardless of the marginal electoral success of their original proponents. The study also contributes to the literature on British Politics by providing an analysis of the Rwanda policy and highlighting how dynamics of populist contagion at the party level are shaping the UK’s approach to asylum.

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