Populism, working-class dislocation, and the making of a multicultural civil society

This article addresses one of the key political challenges of contemporary Britain, namely how to respond to the construction and political mobilisation of the white working-class (WWC), often instrumentalised by right-wing figures to legitimise exclusionary nativist narratives. These narratives have contributed to events such as the 2024 England Riots and continue to threaten social cohesion. Rejecting the idea that progressives should emulate Reform-style populism, the article proposes multicultural nationalism—particularly as theorised by the Tariq Modood within the Bristol School of Multiculturalism (BSM)—as a principled and inclusive alternative. It argues that multiculturalism must more fully incorporate class, recognising the WWC not as inherently reactionary, but as a group experiencing status decline and cultural marginalisation. The WWC’s disaffection stems from the erosion of post-war material security and symbolic inclusion, leading to feelings of loss and displacement. By viewing the WWC as an ethnicity-inflected class group worthy of recognition, multicultural nationalism can speak to those alienated by the language of inclusion. This reorientation expands the BSM’s framework, offering a path towards national cohesion that integrates both ethnic and class identities within a shared vision.