England’s Discontents: Political Cultures and National Identities

England’s political-economic scene is a battleground of competing ideologies, all under the umbrella of neoliberalism. From conservatism to socialism, what forces have historically shaped these political cultures and people’s attachment to them? Examining five political ideologies at play in England—conservatism, liberalism, economic liberalism, social democracy, and socialism—Mike Wayne unearths the historical rationale for their relationship to cultural identities, including rural England, gentlemanly capitalism, industrialism, and Empire. By revealing how national identity, class, and political economy intersect, Wayne is able to elucidate England’s enduring attachment to the neoliberal economic system. Grounding his cultural and material perspective in Gramscian and Marxist theory, Wayne illuminates the cultural dimensions of English political life in the last century.