Writer, commentator and academic. Author and editor of numerous books on Scottish and British politics, including studies of Scottish Labour and the SNP. Co-author with Eric Shaw of The People’s Flag and the Union Jack: An Alternative History of Britain and the Labour Party, published by Biteback Publishing in early 2019.
The case for Brexit may amount to more than pure fiction. But there is no denying it is rooted in a revivalist narrative of British history. Whether the perceived enemy be Europe, the welfare state or migrants, the right has been waging the same battle since the 1980s.
In Britain today, a burgeoning Churchill industry promotes an idea of the nation as a place of purpose and moral certainty. But Churchill’s historical record is not what conservatives would have it to be, argues Gerry Hassan. In the post-war era, ‘Churchillism’ showed an ability to adapt that is beyond the current political leadership – not only on the right.
