Report

Reclaiming Britain: The nation against ethno-nationalism

This report from UK think tank IPPR argues that British politics is undergoing a profound shift as ethnonationalist ideas move from the fringes into the mainstream of the right.

The report argues that British politics is undergoing a profound shift as ethnonationalist ideas move from the fringes into the mainstream of the right. Anti-migration politics is increasingly framed not around economic pressures but around culture, inheritance and ethnic difference, with major parties proposing mass deportations and far-right narratives gaining legitimacy.

While still a minority view, belief in an ethnic definition of Britishness is rising, driven less by sudden opinion change than by the erosion of norms that once kept prejudice politically unacceptable. This marks a more fundamental challenge to progressives, who now face opponents willing to reject basic principles of equal human worth, not just economic equality.

The report contends that progressives must respond by reclaiming the politics of nationhood rather than ceding it to the right. Despite rising pessimism and declining national pride, most Britons continue to favour civic, universalist ideas of citizenship and prioritise shared goals such as good public services, economic security and lower inequality over exclusionary nationalism. Progressives therefore need a forward-looking nation-building project that restores faith in collective agency, binds people together around common purpose, and translates those values into state action.

Leaving the meaning of the nation uncontested, the report warns, risks allowing a narrow, backward-looking nationalism to define Britain’s future.