Long Reads: Reform UK’s Path to Power w/ Phil Burton-Cartledge

Long Reads: Reform UK’s Path to Power w/ Phil Burton-Cartledge

From Jacobin Radio by Jacobin

May 21, 2026 · 1h 1m

About this episode

Phil Burton-Cartledge discusses the implications of recent local elections in Britain and the rise of Reform UK.

Britain held local and regional elections earlier this month that proved to be catastrophic for the Labour government of Keir Starmer. Labour fell behind the right-wing party Reform UK, which is led by Nigel Farage. Ten years after the Brexit referendum of 2016, could Farage be on track to become Britain’s next prime minister? Phil Burton-Cartledge, lecturer in sociology at the University of Derby and the author of The Party’s Over: The Rise and Fall of the Conservatives from Thatcher to Sunak , joins Long Reads for a conversation about the state of British politics. Phil spoke with us two years ago to discuss the UK general election that brought Starmer to power. Read or listen to that interview here: https://jacobin.com/2024/07/uk-elections-tory-party-conservatives-defeat-labour Long Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine’s writers. Hosted by features editor Daniel Finn. Produced by Conor Gillies with music by Knxwledge.

People in this episode

Host: Daniel Finn

Guest: Phil Burton-Cartledge

Topics covered

  • British politics
  • Labour government
  • Reform UK
  • local elections
  • Keir Starmer
  • Nigel Farage
  • sociology

Keywords

  • British elections
  • Labour party
  • Reform UK
  • Keir Starmer
  • Nigel Farage
  • political analysis
  • sociology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Labour, Reform UK, Jacobin

Books & works: The Party’s Over: The Rise and Fall of the Conservatives from Thatcher to Sunak

Places: Britain

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