A book review and explanation of why this ignored class is so powerful as a kingmaker in UK politics.

Some interesting insights from two new books (2023), one from the UK and the other from the US.
Two writers from different sides of the pond with different histories to contend and yet come to some interesting conclusions as to why many White working-class people vote for populist right-wing parties whose interests lie with the top 1% and not the bottom 50%.

This also goes some way in answering why this recognised King Maker group of voters (if they choose even to vote) are so sought after by both major parties in the UK and the US. Not so large to be a majority, but as swing voters, large enough to determine the outcome of present-day elections.

So who are they, where did they come from, and why do they vote against their self-interest?

The UK book by Dan Evans, A Nation of Shop Keepers – The Unstoppable Rise of the Petty Bourgeoisie and The US book by Jonathan M. Melzl, Dying on Whiteness – How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland.