Trends of Radicalisation in the UK

The D3.2 UK report shows the ways in which the West Yorkshire, Dover, and London “hotspots” of radicalization represent a culmination of contemporary far-right radicalisation trends in the UK, whilst providing insights into different ideologies underpinning far-right mobilisation and political violence on a broader scale. The report incorporates rural-urban, North-South, economically thriving-stagnating, and interior-liminal dimensions to illustrate how far-right ideologies facilitate the creation of group identities and divisions. Importantly, the hotspots showcase the increasing ‘patriotic unity’ of far-right groups in pursuing collective goals. Collectively, these hotspots all draw on notions of idealised British identities which are embedded within their geographies, and highlight the importance of place attachment – the affective involvement with spaces in right-wing ideologies. The perceived injustices, grievances, and alienation are constructed through perceived infractions on physical spaces such as counties (West Yorkshire), liminal areas such as ports (Dover), and capital cities (London). Thus, the hotspots themselves are enacted with intent to reclaim space and through it, recapture a mythologised image of imperial Britain.