Multicultural nationalism: saving the white working class from blue labour?

Abstract

This article explores Labour's electoral response to the rise of Reform UK, whose recent local election gains and strong polling suggest significant appeal among white working class voters. Labour's apparent revival of ‘Blue Labour’ social conservatism—particularly on immigration—aims to reclaim this constituency, but risks alienating its liberal base, particularly as its more radical communitarianism has faded. The article argues that Labour's current strategy reflects a zero-sum logic that fails to reconcile the party's diverse electoral coalition. To address this tension, the article proposes a framework of multicultural nationalism which is inclusive of both ethnic minorities and those white working class communities who feel currently excluded from the national project. This approach offers a more integrated and pluralistic path forward, acknowledging concerns around recognition, identity and belonging as the basis for a more cohesive and responsive politics. It suggests Labour can unify its electoral coalition, instead of choosing between factions, by committing itself to an expansion of the national story and policy outcomes which better reflect the goal of an inclusive society.

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ORCID for John Denham: orcid.org/0000-0002-1716-5085

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