Is there a relationship between right-wing populism and radicalisation to Islamic extremism in the UK and, if so, what is the nature of this relationship?

Abstract

This paper examines the nature of the relationship between right-wing populism and radicalisation to Islamic extremism in the UK. Through the critical analysis of themes and commonalities within existing literature on both individual fields, it is shown that there exists a relationship between the two phenomena, though this relationship has many intricacies. This paper argues that right-wing populism, along with counter-terrorism policy and the media, construct an anti-Muslim narrative, which fosters discrimination and, ultimately, leads to the social exclusion of Muslim suspect communities, a known cause of radicalisation. This research further reveals that this relationship, while significant, is not causal, using cumulative extremism to explain its multidirectional nature. Drawing attention to the relationship between right-wing populism and radicalisation opens up a new approach to understanding the impact current UK politics and the media have on the issue of “homegrown” terrorism. This paper aims to promote engagement with the question of how, as a society, we can implement more effective and less discriminative counterterrorism policy, as well as become more aware of the impact of the media. In recent years, it has become apparent that right-wing populism has transitioned from being an ideology of the radical-right to becoming integrated into Western mainstream politics (Akkerman, 2012). In 2016, both the Brexit referendum in the UK and the election of Donald Trump as American President, evidenced this shift. The Muslim community has frequently been a target of these campaigns and this cannot be without consequence. Trends in right-wing populism seemingly coincide with peaks of Islamic extremism in the West, yet this relationship has not been previously investigated.