To what extent has populism infiltrated the party system in the United Kingdom, and in what ways can UK party populism be compared to European party populism?

Abstract

Populism has become a firm facet of European and indeed Western politics. Previously, populism’s role in UK politics has been somewhat overlooked compared to other European counterparts. As such, using qualitative political discourse analysis, this dissertation seeks to assess the extent of populism’s infiltration into the UK party system, focusing on three parties in particular: the Labour Party, the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). Drawing on existing academic literature on populism as a conceptual framework, this dissertation will assess the extent to which each party adheres to the central tenants of populism. A comparison of the three parties will then be made, highlighting the far-reaching grasp which populism holds within the UK party system. Populism’s position within the UK party system will then be compared with the European context, illuminating similarities between the UK parties and other European parties but also elucidating a ‘British’ development of populism.