Charles Leddy-Owen - Nationalism, Inequality and England’s Political Predicament

Based on fine-grained ethnographic research in an English city, this book offers a highly original perspective on Englands contemporary political predicament. It argues that some of the most influential academic accounts of the countrys current political situation, particularly those focusing on culture or racism, have neglected the key role of nationalism as an often unspoken, banal political principle and framing ideology. Suggesting that economic inequalities remain the key causal ingredient of English political life and, crucially, that these are being interpreted by individuals in relation to a nationalist/cosmopolitan ideological axis, the author argues that any effective, progressive political future will require a reinvigorated sense of political community. Proposing a politics that will promote both nationhood and cosmopolitanism, Nationalism, Inequality and Englands Political Predicament advocates a seemingly contradictory but necessary approach by which explicitly anti-nationalist and anti-racist principles coexist expediently alongside short-term protectionist and immigration control policies.

Charles Leddy-Owen is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Portsmouth, UK.

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Charles Leddy-Owen

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Charles Leddy-Owen

First published 2019

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2019 Charles Leddy-Owen

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Leddy-Owen, Charles, author.

Title: Nationalism, inequality and Englands political predicament / Charles Leddy-Owen.

Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2019. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018056338 (print) | LCCN 2019001307 (ebook) | ISBN 9781315110974 (Ebook) | ISBN 9781138086579 | ISBN 9781138086579 (harback :alk. paper) | ISBN 9781315110974 (ebk)

Subjects: LCSH: Great BritainPolitics and government1945 | NationalismEngland. | EqualityEngland.

Classification: LCC DA42 (ebook) | LCC DA42 .L43 2019 (print) | DDC 320.942dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018056338

ISBN: 978-1-138-08657-9 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-315-11097-4 (ebk)

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In about 2008 I attended a poorly staffed open evening for postgraduate degrees at Birkbeck College. While waiting in the queue to speak to an exhausted looking academic (whose name I never learned) I read the departments prospectus and decided to do an MRes in Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict rather than the more practical degree (something to do with public sector administration) for which I had been planning to apply. Without this intervention, and Eric Kaufmanns excellent course based around Anthony Smiths interpretation of nationalism studies, I doubt I would be doing the job I am privileged to have now so thanks are due to everyone involved in what happened there.

I was invited to give papers on different aspects of the research at seminars and conferences organised by John Denham, Will Jennings, Nasar Meer, Maria Sobolewska and Robert Ford, and would like to thank them for these opportunities and those in attendance for the very useful feedback received. Thank you to Jesse Shipp, probably the first born-and-bred islander I became friends with, for providing invaluable comments on the section looking at his home town (any faults in there are of course my own). I am grateful to the University of Portsmouths Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, which provided funding for interview transcription and some teaching relief through the Citizenship, Race and Belonging research network. Thanks are also due to the Writing Accountability Group Ive attended and its numerous co-members over the last two years who provided valuable moral support and general advice. Discussions with George Ackers, in the office or over a swift half, were very helpful for the development of the analysis, as were some readings he recommended (which are cited in what follows thus proving that I do read some of the things you send me, George!). Simon Stewart took time to provide useful feedback on the original book proposal as did Joseph Burridge on part of one of the chapters. More generally, all of us in the Sociology team at Portsmouth owe a great deal to Josephs integrity, support and leadership.

Thank you to all of my family. My parents have always been hugely supportive of me, and special thanks are due to my Mum for, among other things, helping to instil an interest in political and social issues from an early age (particularly by letting me stay up late to watch Gandhi when I was very young). I should also thank the very useful WasteNoTime internet lockdown app, CBeebies and The Wiggles for their help with issues relating to distraction.

My partner Lexie has put up with a lot during the writing of this book. One of the reasons I didnt rush its writing after GE2015 was to try and avoid the standard apology you read in these sections about disappearing behind a door while family life continued elsewhere but here we are. I cannot thank you enough for the support and love you give to me and that one. The latter is fully reciprocated by us both, and I owe you for the former.