Broken Heartlands: A Journey Through Labour's Lost England
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- Author：Sebastian Payne
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Summary
Broken Heartlands is an essential and compelling political road-trip through ten constituencies that tell the story of Labour’s red wall from Sebastian Payne – an award-winning journalist and Whitehall Editor for the Financial Times。
'Impressive and entertaining' - Sunday Times
'Immensely readable' - Observer
Historically， the red wall formed the backbone of Labour’s vote in the Midlands and the North of England but， during the 2019 general election， it dramatically turned Conservative for the first time in living memory， redrawing the electoral map in the process。
Originally from the North East himself， Payne sets out to uncover the real story behind the red wall and what turned these seats blue。 Beginning in Blyth Valley in the North East and ending in Burnley， with visits to constituencies across the Midlands and Yorkshire along the way， Payne gets to the heart of a key political story of our time that will have ramifications for years to come。
While Brexit and the unpopularity of opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn are factors， there is a more nuanced story explored in Broken Heartlands – of how these northern communities have fared through generational shifts， struggling public services， de-industrialization and the changing nature of work。 Featuring interviews with local people， plus major political figures from both parties – including Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer – Payne explores the significant role these social and economic forces， decades in the making， have played in this fundamental upheaval of the British political landscape。
'A must-read for anyone who wants to understand England today' - Robert Peston
'Impressive and entertaining' - Sunday Times
'Immensely readable' - Observer
Historically， the red wall formed the backbone of Labour’s vote in the Midlands and the North of England but， during the 2019 general election， it dramatically turned Conservative for the first time in living memory， redrawing the electoral map in the process。
Originally from the North East himself， Payne sets out to uncover the real story behind the red wall and what turned these seats blue。 Beginning in Blyth Valley in the North East and ending in Burnley， with visits to constituencies across the Midlands and Yorkshire along the way， Payne gets to the heart of a key political story of our time that will have ramifications for years to come。
While Brexit and the unpopularity of opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn are factors， there is a more nuanced story explored in Broken Heartlands – of how these northern communities have fared through generational shifts， struggling public services， de-industrialization and the changing nature of work。 Featuring interviews with local people， plus major political figures from both parties – including Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer – Payne explores the significant role these social and economic forces， decades in the making， have played in this fundamental upheaval of the British political landscape。
'A must-read for anyone who wants to understand England today' - Robert Peston
Reviews
Jeff Chalker
，
I read this book because I was impressed by Seb Payne's articulate media performances。 It started well with the first few chapters about parts of the country I knew very little about。 The role played by de-industrialisation， the loss of community-sustaining work/union/working mens' clubs， the roles played by Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn's leadership were all enlightening。The first time around。 By the time Payne conducts his 51st interview in his 28th constituency the repetition becomes tedious。 Ther I read this book because I was impressed by Seb Payne's articulate media performances。 It started well with the first few chapters about parts of the country I knew very little about。 The role played by de-industrialisation， the loss of community-sustaining work/union/working mens' clubs， the roles played by Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn's leadership were all enlightening。The first time around。 By the time Payne conducts his 51st interview in his 28th constituency the repetition becomes tedious。 There is so much monotone reporting of opinions and so little analysis that the promised subtleties don't emerge。 In Burnley， Coventry or Consett it is the same litany of broken promises， disconnect with the electorate and abandonment of old loyalties。 A book one third of the length of this one could have made his point。 And then， two days after I started the book， Johnson resigned。 Much of the book's immediacy was lost。 The Labour Party's problems in these heartlands remain but the Tories have a whole set of new ones。 The uncritical voters of the heartlands can now see their hero has feet of clay。 。。。more
millie
，
Depressing but informative。 I didn’t really appreciate the diversion of the racism and xenophobia issue though and I’m sorry but I can’t empathise with small-minded town mentality of ‘our community was 99% white and now it’s 95% white what’s going on？？？’
Jim
，
Books on politics can be hard work， but this one was worth the effort。 The author embarks on a tour of the “Red Wall” constituencies in England that turned “Blue” in the last election to try and understand what happened。 In a nutshell， the book argues the main factors seem to have been （1） a dislike of Jeremy Corbyn （2） a personal liking of Boris Johnson and （3） a desire to see Brexit done。 Hmm。 Really？ When it came to Brexit， I had the feeling that the book was dancing around the horny topic of Books on politics can be hard work， but this one was worth the effort。 The author embarks on a tour of the “Red Wall” constituencies in England that turned “Blue” in the last election to try and understand what happened。 In a nutshell， the book argues the main factors seem to have been （1） a dislike of Jeremy Corbyn （2） a personal liking of Boris Johnson and （3） a desire to see Brexit done。 Hmm。 Really？ When it came to Brexit， I had the feeling that the book was dancing around the horny topic of immigration。 UKIP and Nigel Farage aren’t brought into the discussion until page 172 and， while up to this point we get a role call of “influential” British MPs and political pundits and their views on where Labour went wrong， the man who actually turned British politics on its head - Nigel Farage - has to wait a long time before he’s asked his views。 In the first half of the book， I was becoming really frustrated of hearing how the loss of the Red Wall was all about Jeremy Corbyn alienating the traditional Labour voter， almost as if the dreaded immigration issue came a long way second。 It’s like the author didn’t want to lift this stone as he eulogises the essential integrity of the British Working Man and how Labour has let him down。 But， to be fair， he eventually shoulders the sky， drinks his ale and grasps the nettle。 At one point， he recalls an interesting vignette when he asks a mate to voice his opinion on Keir Stammer， and the guy shows him the almost infamous picture of the Labour Leader， and deputy leader， taking the knee in their central office。 It wasn’t shown with an admiring comment。 For me， this vignette spoke volumes about what almost the whole political class， including the media （apart from Nigel Farage）， cannot bear to speak about。 Immigration and race。 Why？ It’s the classic British elephant in the room and it so badly needs to be discussed。 Britain is a tolerant country but it cannot tolerate almost any discussion of race - or at least， certain types of race。 Until it can be faced， this issue is just going to fester and grow and it needs to be brought into the light by people such as Sebastian Payne。 The book is kept going by really interesting interviews with very connected people as well as “ordinary Joes”， although there are far more of the former。 I’d have liked more Vox Pops as per the Keir Stammer story， but I suppose literally everyone has an opinion and what do they matter in isolation？ Whereas a Tony Blair or Boris Johnson can act on their views to change the direction of political Britain。In the course of reading this Boris Johnson crashed out - or was pushed out - as Britain’s Prime Minister。 Whoever replaces him， it’s clear in the short term that “Britain’s Broken Heartlands” will have absolutely no say in it。 Neither will the unbroken South。 Given the book’s assertion that political figures really do matter to people in the street， what can the Red Wall or the Blue Home Counties do about this？ Absolutely nothing。 Surely that’s not right in a democracy that looks and acts like this book says it does？Anyway， this was well written， topical， entertaining and worth reading， even if it already feels like a bit of almost ancient history。 。。。more
Rich Gibbons
，
This book has some great information and insights that I am pleased I now know but it gets quite repetitive on places。 Several key political figures are interviewed which adds good authenticity and it's overall a worthwhile read。 This book has some great information and insights that I am pleased I now know but it gets quite repetitive on places。 Several key political figures are interviewed which adds good authenticity and it's overall a worthwhile read。 。。。more
Charli
，
The ‘why’ was less interesting - brexit brexit brexit， Corbyn etc etc。 But the ‘what’ was fascinating - what makes a red wall seat， who are these voters and 2019ers。 Political nerds will enjoy。
Stephen Morrissey
，
For those looking for a stimulating rompt through contemporary British politics， Sebastian Payne's "Broken Heartlands" is one of the best primers for catching up on our friends across the pond。 Readers of Trump Era Rust Belt investigations will find many parallels with Payne's trip through the northern reaches of England， as the author travels across the former mining and industrial areas that once catapulted the Labour Party to electoral victories （and even stayed with Labour through harsh defe For those looking for a stimulating rompt through contemporary British politics， Sebastian Payne's "Broken Heartlands" is one of the best primers for catching up on our friends across the pond。 Readers of Trump Era Rust Belt investigations will find many parallels with Payne's trip through the northern reaches of England， as the author travels across the former mining and industrial areas that once catapulted the Labour Party to electoral victories （and even stayed with Labour through harsh defeats during Thatcher's reign）。 Since de-industrialization has taken hold， though， these areas of England have seen a marked uptick in Conservative Party voting， with many Tory MPs being voted in across recent elections。 The shift reminds US readers of the both Rust Belt allegiances shifting from Democrats to Republicans， as well as the shift in the Deep South towards the Republican Party as voters identified more with cultural and visceral responses to a Democratic Party veering too far left， in their view。Payne's book is a fascinating dive into how these areas feel， not simply how they vote。 Recent elections have been subject to momentary political headwinds - the popularity of Brexit and the un-popularity of Jeremy Corbyn front and center。 Something else， something much deeper， is at work with the political shifts - voters feel left behind by the central government， and left beind specifically by a Labour Party that fights against those who own houses， send their sons off to the military， and seek an aspirational model for political leadership。Unfortunately for Labour， there are no quick answers for winning these voters back。 Brexit， like Trump， gave license for many voters to participate in the political process in a different way。 One of the more astute observations comes from former Labour leader Neil Kinnock， who seeks new messaging for Labour around security - security for jobs， for incomes， for national defense， and for the welfare state that Britain has built up since the end of the Second World War。Labour， like the US Democratic Party， has a fine line to walk with "left behind" voters - pure economic arguments （against monopolization and greedy corporations， as one example） are not enough to win these hearts and minds。 The working class has felt left behind; it's up to future left-leaning leaders to figure out a way to ease that feeling， instill something more aspirational， and combine well-to-do voters in suburban rings with struggling working class voters in the exurbs。After reading Payne's book， it is obvious that the Western world is undergoing a political re-alignment not witnessed since the 1960s。 The results are still to be seen and felt。 。。。more
Chris
，
An interesting and well researched analysis that makes some good points。 However， the main thesis of industrial decline as the cause is flawed。 That’s been going on for much longer。 A year on from publication has not been kind either as the situation has substantially changed。
Rory
，
The PodcastI was fortunate enough to interview Sebastian Payne for a podcast I host， following the government’s publication of a White Paper on Levelling Up in February。 Focusing initially on infrastructure and the impact that investment could have in the Midlands and the North， we quickly moved on to what the government’s new flagship policy could mean for the political landscape across the UK that Payne's book concludes is undergoing tectonic shifts in party allegiance。 The episode can be list The PodcastI was fortunate enough to interview Sebastian Payne for a podcast I host， following the government’s publication of a White Paper on Levelling Up in February。 Focusing initially on infrastructure and the impact that investment could have in the Midlands and the North， we quickly moved on to what the government’s new flagship policy could mean for the political landscape across the UK that Payne's book concludes is undergoing tectonic shifts in party allegiance。 The episode can be listened to on Spotify， Apple Podcasts and Anchor FM。Spotify: https://spoti。fi/3JfT0sQAnchor FM: https://bit。ly/34pSgCR —The Review Sebastian Payne’s Broken Heartlands reads like the research notes to an epilogue on the 2019 General Election。 It is an epilogue however， that has been well overtaken by events before the book had even made it to paperback， as the pandemic and a litany of self-inflicted crises in Downing Street somewhat undermine the author’s conclusions just a few months on。The mixed reviews that this book has received seem to be mostly reflective of the polarised nature of the debate-cum-civil war in the Labour Party as to why the disastrous election in 2019 was lost; from the one star reviews of the ostriches on the left， to the five star reviews of the saboteurs on the centre and right of the party。 And while I am in the loosest sense more of an ostrich than a saboteur， I do think that Payne gets a lot right in this book， even if his analysis is a little light。 Having listened to the book， narrated by Payne， after a few chapters I did get the sense that the topic would have been much better served by a long-listen FT podcast series than a book。 In Payne’s journey across the crumbled Red Wall we meet countless salt of the earth ‘Old Labour’ characters， and whilst we hear their words， we never truly hear their voices。 I’m no advocate of the pseudo wisdom of vox pops， but given the reliance on interviews and off-the-cuff opinions， I feel the narrative would have greatly benefited from the podcast treatment。 。。。more
Paul
，
Trying to figure out why Labour died and what can be done to resuscitate it。 Unfortunately doesn't ask the question whether we should。 Maybe it'd be kinder to put in the ground。 Trying to figure out why Labour died and what can be done to resuscitate it。 Unfortunately doesn't ask the question whether we should。 Maybe it'd be kinder to put in the ground。 。。。more
Kirsty Harrod
，
EVERYONE INTERESTED IN POLITICS MUST READ THIS BOOK， especially those on the Labour left。
Mark
，
A good， well-written book but thoroughly depressing from a content point of view。 Much has happened in politics since it was written so I can only hope that its conclusions turn out to be wrong。
Roel Jacobs
，
An exhaustive analysis of why labour lost its heartlands。 Unfortunately， the book is repetitive as after a visit to two different towns the reasons for Brexit and the swing to the conservative party are abundantly clear。 There is a strong sense in the former industrial areas of having been neglected by the metropolitan （read: London） based elite。 The majority in these Northern towns voted Brexit mainly to give the finger to the political class。 If the issue had been the imports of vital medicine An exhaustive analysis of why labour lost its heartlands。 Unfortunately， the book is repetitive as after a visit to two different towns the reasons for Brexit and the swing to the conservative party are abundantly clear。 There is a strong sense in the former industrial areas of having been neglected by the metropolitan （read: London） based elite。 The majority in these Northern towns voted Brexit mainly to give the finger to the political class。 If the issue had been the imports of vital medicines and the government was advising a positive vote， chances are voters in these towns would still have voted against it。 Anti-government feeling was strong。 Still， the whole British political landscape is topsy-turvy。 Voters felt a strong connection with Eton / Oxford educated Johnson while both his lifestyle and upbringing are very far removed from their everyday experiences。 Admittedly， Corbyn made Boris’s task easier and what were seen as the former's extreme views were loathed。 Somebody who considers Castro and Maduro’s economic policies as the examples to follow， always blames the world's ills on the USA / West and sides with the IRA while advocating unilateral arms control， is not inspiring confidence as a leader。 Still， voters believed Boris's promise of levelling up and putting 20K police back on the streets and employing a further 22k nurses。 It was the same conservatives who cut all these services when in government while Brexit has exacerbated the lack of personnel in the NHS！ Having visited a number of towns mentioned in the book I understand the desire for change。 However， one cannot escape the conclusion that the Brexit drama while a protest vote， was really turkeys voting for Christmas。 Still， Keir Starmer will have a hard time constructing an alliance between a liberal elite more concerned with identity politics and the left behind in these towns who desperately need economic security and a sense of opportunity。 Let’s hope a sensible middle ground re-emerges。 Lib dems where are you when needed？ 。。。more
Matthew Eskuf
，
Payne's book Broken Heartlands: A Journey Through Labour’s Lost England is an interesting insight into the thoughts of local people living in the old red-wall seats。Payne argues that the decline of the red-wall has been an on-going process with UKIP / Farage laying the seeds for change which was cemented in the 2019 General Election with the loss of several long-standing Labour seats in the north and midlands。 Whilst Brexit and Corbyn were factors in the move towards a Conservative vote in the r Payne's book Broken Heartlands: A Journey Through Labour’s Lost England is an interesting insight into the thoughts of local people living in the old red-wall seats。Payne argues that the decline of the red-wall has been an on-going process with UKIP / Farage laying the seeds for change which was cemented in the 2019 General Election with the loss of several long-standing Labour seats in the north and midlands。 Whilst Brexit and Corbyn were factors in the move towards a Conservative vote in the red-wall， there has been a deeper cultural shift within many working class communities which has rejected liberalism。 This political realignment was epitomised by Brexit but its routes are found in people’s perception of the nation state / patriotism， concerns over immigration and a sense that their community was being left behind in a new globalized world。Payne points out that there is a feeling in these communities， that the Conservative party are now better placed to adress their concerns and drive positive change; embracing the charisma of Boris Johnson and the energy of a new wave of Conservative MPs who want to ‘level up’ by stimulating local economies through business investment， infrastructure and training and upskilling of local people。 At the heart of this agenda， was a belief that local areas can take charge of their own destiny through devotion / city regions and strong mayors， with towns being linked to local economic centres （cities） by way of improved infrastructure and transport investment。 Payne correctly recognises that Labour haven’t been able to communicate many of their recent achievements such as Housing Market Renewal， Sure start centres and minimum wage but this perhaps reflects the internal battle between different factions within the party。 To win back the red-wall Labour need to have a better understanding of their traditional electorate and embrace a progressive economic agenda whilst understanding people’s attachment to the local。Critically， Johnson’s shift leftwards on economics through increased state spending and investment in infrastructure， alongside a focus on upskilling those left behind has left Labour in a challenging position。 。。。more
Andy Walker
，
While I don’t agree with some of the author’s conclusions， I enjoyed reading Sebastian Payne’s Broken Heartlands: A Journey Through Labour’s Lost England。 Basically， a travelogue around the ‘red wall’ seats， Payne tries to delve into the reason why many of Labour’s former rock solid constituencies went blue at the 2019 general election， thereby handing Boris Johnson a massive parliamentary majority。 Unsurprisingly， and correctly in my view， Payne identifies Brexit as the main reason for Labour’s While I don’t agree with some of the author’s conclusions， I enjoyed reading Sebastian Payne’s Broken Heartlands: A Journey Through Labour’s Lost England。 Basically， a travelogue around the ‘red wall’ seats， Payne tries to delve into the reason why many of Labour’s former rock solid constituencies went blue at the 2019 general election， thereby handing Boris Johnson a massive parliamentary majority。 Unsurprisingly， and correctly in my view， Payne identifies Brexit as the main reason for Labour’s electoral meltdown。 But he also makes the point that the party’s support was waning long before 2019， tracing a gradual decline that started as far back as Tony Blair’s days in government。 Many of the demographic changes （and social and economic problems）in the red wall seats have been a long time coming and Payne posits the view that a seismic political shift may have taken place that could see Labour out of power for a generation。 He also recognises though that unless the Tories deliver on their much-vaunted levelling up plans then they could just as quickly find themselves punished by the electorate。 An oft-repeated refrain from those Payne interviews in his book is the feeling that they have been forgotten about and disregarded by successive politicians， especially Labour ones。 The calls for jobs， decent housing， a future for young people and a halt to the decline in villages and towns is clear from this book。 Whether the current government can deliver on its promises - or show enough progress over the next couple of years - will decide the outcome of the next general election。 With an interventionist Tory prime minister in post， Labour will need to be a lot bolder than simply appearing to be more responsible， reliable and appealing to vague notions of patriotism， if it is to gain electoral success。 The deep seated social and economic challenges facing the country - and its attendant enduring inequality - call for more radical solutions than those currently on offer。 。。。more
Aidan Mitchell
，
Very insightful， well-researched travelogue and a good look at the communities left behind across England。 When you know the author's political views， the book changes in a different light。It was a little repetitive towards the end， and I thought that some of the best ideas of the author （House of Lords reform） were left to one sentence explanations in the conclusion。Also， there seems to be a slight disconnect with the start of the books focus on 'left behind' towns and what the Conservatives co Very insightful， well-researched travelogue and a good look at the communities left behind across England。 When you know the author's political views， the book changes in a different light。It was a little repetitive towards the end， and I thought that some of the best ideas of the author （House of Lords reform） were left to one sentence explanations in the conclusion。Also， there seems to be a slight disconnect with the start of the books focus on 'left behind' towns and what the Conservatives could do for them and the latter part which focuses on the devastating impacts of large scale capitalism such as Boohoo on communities across the Midlands。 The author does not seem to bridge the gap between the Tories being able to help some towns （in NE England） and why they seem less likely to help those suffering from unstable employment by companies like Boohoo。Furthermore， as we move away from Brexit， current polling suggests that people care less about brexit and have moved on。 This complicates the author's thesis that Brexit was a sea-change moment， which severed the Labour party from its traditional roots。 Moreover， the book's thesis seems dependent on the Conservatives ploughing investment into left-behind towns and fulfilling the levelling up agenda。 Again current events show that levelling up is failing and Labour seems well-placed to win these seats back。 This book is best seen as a 'snapshot' of how these communities felt during a particular period。 An interesting follow-up from the author would be to look at these seats after the next election and see the changes。 。。。more
sallytates
，
3。5 starsWell reported and engagingly written， but poorly structured。 The first half of the book is fairly repetitive: X Constituency flipped Tory in 2019 because of some combination of （1） Brexit; （2） Corbyn's unpopularity and Johnson's affability; （3） the effects of deindustrialization and reduction in collectivism; （4） more affluent residents; and （5） Labour's poor communication with voters。 A chapter to each of these five main issues would have made for a stronger structure。 Later chapters f 3。5 starsWell reported and engagingly written， but poorly structured。 The first half of the book is fairly repetitive: X Constituency flipped Tory in 2019 because of some combination of （1） Brexit; （2） Corbyn's unpopularity and Johnson's affability; （3） the effects of deindustrialization and reduction in collectivism; （4） more affluent residents; and （5） Labour's poor communication with voters。 A chapter to each of these five main issues would have made for a stronger structure。 Later chapters focusing on each party's relationship with Black and Asian communities （Coventry North West）， a town that's doing well post-industrialization （Burnley） and the Red Wall constituency that flipped in a post-2019 by-election （Hartlepool） could remain as location-specific chapters。Payne interviewed many MPs and party grandees， both past and present， as well as regular voters， but remarkably few young ones。The book was also poorly copy edited: sentence fragments and misplaced or missing commas abounded。 。。。more
Alice Smith
，
A unique insight in the red wall， making me reflect on how much of the insight at the time of the election actually came from there。 The travel-diary side of it with local impact helped shed light on the real issues and perceptions of the electorate， something often missed。 I would love to have seen more of the conclusion （ideas around the next election， house of lords） elaborated on， hence the 4 starts， but on the whole a very interesting book which I would completely recommend。
Ted Richards
，
An excellent exploration of the fallout surrounding the UK 2019 General Election。 Sebastian Payne's book takes the form of a very documentary-friendly style road trip， from the North East in Gateshead， across to Burnley， stopping along the way at key constituencies which saw a Conservative victory。 These locations are singled out because they were previously thought of as 'safe seats' for the Labour Party and a great deal of Payne's book focuses on why Labour lost these electorates。 It also smoo An excellent exploration of the fallout surrounding the UK 2019 General Election。 Sebastian Payne's book takes the form of a very documentary-friendly style road trip， from the North East in Gateshead， across to Burnley， stopping along the way at key constituencies which saw a Conservative victory。 These locations are singled out because they were previously thought of as 'safe seats' for the Labour Party and a great deal of Payne's book focuses on why Labour lost these electorates。 It also smoothly shifts focus onto the larger issues happening in Britain， with an excellent analysis of immigration into Britain form the early 2000's and changes in British Asian communities from the 1980's。 At first， I really did not like this audiobook。 Payne narrates his own work， which usually works well but for the first couple of chapters I found the audio to be quite tinny， and Payne's pace was off balance。 It was also tough to tell when he was quoting people， and I thought a professional actor ought to have been considered given the amount of times this happens。 However， around the third chapter Payne's intonation began to click with me and I became comfortable distinguishing his inflections， making it a far more enjoyable listen。 The book is very well structured。 Each constituency is afforded a respectful tone of voice， Payne deals with every place's problems with seriousness and a deft insight to what may be going on beneath the surface。 But at all times his narrative is led by the people on the ground， whether it be local candidates， heavyweight politicians or ordinary voters。 In Great Grimsby， Payne interviews a business leader with pertinent thoughts on New Labour's emphasis on university education， and the harm it dealt to local vocational courses。 In Coventry North West， he examines whether the BAME electorate has been overlooked by Labour。 Payne paints a picture of what the impact will be of figures like Sajid Javid， Nadhim Zahawi and Kwasi Kwarteng。 But it's balanced with interviews from David Lammy and community leaders， in a way which makes it difficult to disagree with Payne's own personal conclusions。 In Heywood & Middleton， Payne gets into a wonderful conversation about devolution across the UK and England， in the form of directly elected mayoralties。 And finally in Burnley， he gets into the diminishing pride of industrial heartlands， and the dominance of private corporations， specifically BooHoo。 He finishes with an analysis of what happened in Hartlepool and an entertainingly wild final half hour， where he advocates his own ideas on how things can be improved for Northern England moving forward。 Payne manages to interview nearly all of the influential figures from British politics in the past two years， besides a notable exception。 As far as I can remember， Jeremy Corbyn is an exception to this， and if any critique of Payne's style can be levelled at him， it is that the book presents a bleak opinion of Corbyn's leadership。 But that is generally the message of every single place Payne visits。 Again， I think it might have helped to have had a professional actor to convey for audiobook listeners when Payne was quoting people， but he does a fine job of it by the end of his narration。 It'd be a little over the top to say that this is a 'must-read' for anyone interested in the current state and future of the Labour Party。 But it is extremely close to a 'must-read'。 It's relevant， and filled with insightful interviews， however Payne also recommends other sources， like BBC Radio 4 and podcasts， where similar information can be gained， at the end of his book。 Generally the most novel things about this book are the opinions of all the members of the general public Payne interviews， that offer a compelling variety of arguments for why Labour lost in 2019。 。。。more
Derwin Brennan
，
An enjoyable read if taken as a travelogue of Red Wall seats in a period where politics was frozen in aspic during the pandemic。 Unfortunately it's content is reporting the same story 10 times and light on any analysis that isn't repeating what's been told to the author by the new Tory MP or pensioner they just spoke to。Unfortunately every trip seems to take the same model of: {Red Wall Seat} is a rainy town。 Despite it's troubles it has a unique sense of community。 The inhabitants of this seat An enjoyable read if taken as a travelogue of Red Wall seats in a period where politics was frozen in aspic during the pandemic。 Unfortunately it's content is reporting the same story 10 times and light on any analysis that isn't repeating what's been told to the author by the new Tory MP or pensioner they just spoke to。Unfortunately every trip seems to take the same model of: {Red Wall Seat} is a rainy town。 Despite it's troubles it has a unique sense of community。 The inhabitants of this seat are proud of their history。 They enjoy a fierce rivalry with the next town over who they consider to be completely alien to them。Labour is seen as having fallen out of touch because of [Brexit|Corbyn|London]。The new Tory MP is proud to be this seats MP and promises to make a difference for this seat by speaking well of it in parliament （presumably the previous Labour MP did nothing but slag it off）。This seat has suffered from a lot of deprivation and social challenges so I've interviewed a comfortable off retiree who works as a church volunteer to understand this more。 （I don't think any one under 50 who isn't an MP features at all in this book。）These voters have broken with Labour and are not tied to the party anymore。 But as they have voted Tory once the seats will probably stay blue for a 100 years。In conclusion the Red Wall is a land of contrasts。 Also we should abolish the House of Lords。The end。 。。。more
Nazza Ahmed
，
my first book of 2022， progress beyond last's year April 2021 start， I am proud of me， now for the book！ I'd been looking forward to this， a political story about the Red Wall in the North of England and Midlands where Labour lost heavy ground and their traditional seats to Boris Johnson's Conservative Party in the 2019 General Election。 The central thrust of the book is great， going beyond Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn as the two obvious factors as to why the Red Wall crumbled to the Conservatives a my first book of 2022， progress beyond last's year April 2021 start， I am proud of me， now for the book！ I'd been looking forward to this， a political story about the Red Wall in the North of England and Midlands where Labour lost heavy ground and their traditional seats to Boris Johnson's Conservative Party in the 2019 General Election。 The central thrust of the book is great， going beyond Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn as the two obvious factors as to why the Red Wall crumbled to the Conservatives and looking more at the structural changes and consequences of deindustrialisation in some of the constituencies like Burnley and Blyth Valley who felt abandoned by Labour and wanted change。 I also appreciated looking at these places holistically through time rather than as a single snapshot in 2019。 It's quite depressing if you're of the left though， the book left me feeling sad at how Labour can reconnect with people who voted Conservative for the first time in their life， it's quite clear they probably will again in the next election。 It did though excellently highlight that these places are now in the political consciousness of those in Westminster and are therefore deserving of more investment and thought， it's up to Labour now to chart that path and not take these places for granted as they did in the past but HOW is the question， I ain't got a clue。 I enjoyed the various vox pops from random people and interviews with politicians， normally they're a bit boring but in this case were quite insightful。 I thought the book rightly looked at the factor of ethnicity as to why some Red Wall seats remained Labour albeit marginally in the example of Coventry North West but didn't at all mention age？ A lot of young people vote Labour and I'm not just talking students but under 40's who outstrip the Tory vote。 It would have been interesting to listen to some young people reflect on their constituencies and potential political future 。。。more
Marilyn Stanley
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If you want a definitive answer as to why the " red wall " constituency voted Conservative in 2019 then this is not the book for you。 On the other hand if you are interested in politics and want answers then you could find it here。 There are as many reasons as there are constituencies though there does seem to be an over riding theme。 An insightful and thoughtful look at the England of today。 I would have liked some ideas as to why a substantial number of people don't bother to vote especially t If you want a definitive answer as to why the " red wall " constituency voted Conservative in 2019 then this is not the book for you。 On the other hand if you are interested in politics and want answers then you could find it here。 There are as many reasons as there are constituencies though there does seem to be an over riding theme。 An insightful and thoughtful look at the England of today。 I would have liked some ideas as to why a substantial number of people don't bother to vote especially those at the bottom of society。 A couple of small niggles Mansfield is not in Derbyshire and North East Derbyshire is not the Derbyshire Sales。 。。。more
Judith Bowen
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Depressing if you support Labour but maybe an important reac
Clare Russell
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I thought this was very good。 Part travel diary， part politics， it was a well researched account listening to ordinary people as well as prominent politicians about short and long term causes of the red wall’s blue turn in 2019 （spoiler: these are complex and can’t just be explained by brexit or corbyn）。 There are some errors in the book （Mary Creagh did not stand in the 2015 leadership election！） and reading it at a time when Johnson’s star has already fallen， it has dated quickly。 But the prob I thought this was very good。 Part travel diary， part politics， it was a well researched account listening to ordinary people as well as prominent politicians about short and long term causes of the red wall’s blue turn in 2019 （spoiler: these are complex and can’t just be explained by brexit or corbyn）。 There are some errors in the book （Mary Creagh did not stand in the 2015 leadership election！） and reading it at a time when Johnson’s star has already fallen， it has dated quickly。 But the problems described are still there。 。。。more
Dominic Milham
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This book should be read by anyone seeking to understand Labour’s 2019 defeat and the challenges faced by the party going forward。Could have been shorter - many chapters provide exactly the same insights as the previous with the reader learning nothing new。 However， it’s worth sticking with for some of the richer insights Payne provides。
Bill Hopkins
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An exceptional read。 Payne enables us to hear the perspectives and views from all sides。 Thus enabling the reader to go on a journey of understanding and education to allow us to make our own judgements free from the noise and bias so common amongst many other commentators。 This book provides a definitive view of why England has voted for Brexit and the Conservatives。 What happens next ？ Who knows but Paynes work gives us the base from which to take an informed guess on how the future will pan o An exceptional read。 Payne enables us to hear the perspectives and views from all sides。 Thus enabling the reader to go on a journey of understanding and education to allow us to make our own judgements free from the noise and bias so common amongst many other commentators。 This book provides a definitive view of why England has voted for Brexit and the Conservatives。 What happens next ？ Who knows but Paynes work gives us the base from which to take an informed guess on how the future will pan out 。。。more
Mary
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4。5/5 As good as I had hoped， despite quite a lot of repetition。 A great follow on from The Road to Somewhere by David Goodhart。 First Brexit and second a massive conservative majority。 That 2019 election result shouldn't have surprised anyone if they'd have read The Road to Somewhere， clearly most of the non Conservative politicians hadn't。 It is important to understand our society in its entirety （not just what's trending on Twitter; not at all a reflection of the majority）， particularly for t 4。5/5 As good as I had hoped， despite quite a lot of repetition。 A great follow on from The Road to Somewhere by David Goodhart。 First Brexit and second a massive conservative majority。 That 2019 election result shouldn't have surprised anyone if they'd have read The Road to Somewhere， clearly most of the non Conservative politicians hadn't。 It is important to understand our society in its entirety （not just what's trending on Twitter; not at all a reflection of the majority）， particularly for those who want to represent us。 Things change fast in politics though。 Will Boris Johnson even still be leading the Conservatives into the next election？ 。。。more
William H
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This book has dated really fast。 Perhaps it is true that all Conservative Governments eventually fall due to sleaze。 We seem to be heading that way but things change quickly and there is two years plus until a general election。 My complaint about books like this is there are a significant amount of voters who flip votes based almost on a whim rather than what is best from an economic standpoint。 So polls change from week to week over what appears innocuous incidents at the time。 Books like this This book has dated really fast。 Perhaps it is true that all Conservative Governments eventually fall due to sleaze。 We seem to be heading that way but things change quickly and there is two years plus until a general election。 My complaint about books like this is there are a significant amount of voters who flip votes based almost on a whim rather than what is best from an economic standpoint。 So polls change from week to week over what appears innocuous incidents at the time。 Books like this become irrelevant pretty quick though I guess they have a historical interest。 The great strength the Conservative Party do have is this ability to regenerate like Dr Who whereas Labour get stuck in ideology and often sound out of touch。 But stopped clocks and all that…。。The conundrum is that only a single Party system like China can make long term decisions that short term democratic Parties can only dream about。 Not that I advocate such a system of course。 。。。more
Christopher Hodder
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I'm a big fan of Sebastian Payne and listen to his podcast nearly every weekend whilst cooking breakfast for the family。 As an FT subscriber， I also read most of his articles。This was a really well written， well researched and engaging book that covered an interesting topic。 My only small gripe is that it wasn't written with longevity in mind and much of the information and analysis in it already seems out of date。 It's more like a really good （and really， really long） political magazine article I'm a big fan of Sebastian Payne and listen to his podcast nearly every weekend whilst cooking breakfast for the family。 As an FT subscriber， I also read most of his articles。This was a really well written， well researched and engaging book that covered an interesting topic。 My only small gripe is that it wasn't written with longevity in mind and much of the information and analysis in it already seems out of date。 It's more like a really good （and really， really long） political magazine article rather than a history book and touches more on the thoughts and feelings of people at a certain place and time rather than using those to support a solid historical/political hypothesis。None of this detracts from it being a highly engaging and informative read。 It certainly deserves to win the many plaudits and awards it has done and I would recommend reading it to those interested in the state of modern Britain （particularly for those in the Labour 'movement'）。 。。。more
Mark
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I read this to get out of my echo chamber。 I have been aware of the author's journalism and politics （can they be separated？） since the Brexit debate - and I don't like them。 We come from either side of the Tyne river in N。 E。 England， so you could imagine some common ground， but there is none。 I have found British politics， or at least how they play with the public， pretty unfathomable since at least 2016， but most definitely since 2019 so this book seemed like a good opportunity to try and tak I read this to get out of my echo chamber。 I have been aware of the author's journalism and politics （can they be separated？） since the Brexit debate - and I don't like them。 We come from either side of the Tyne river in N。 E。 England， so you could imagine some common ground， but there is none。 I have found British politics， or at least how they play with the public， pretty unfathomable since at least 2016， but most definitely since 2019 so this book seemed like a good opportunity to try and take the temperature and understand better what might be motivating the sentiment of the electorate。I found the first half of the book pretty infuriating。 The author's political views come through very strongly and I was left surprised at how partisan an FT journalist （Whitehall Editor， no less） could be。 I was driven to make more notes and highlights in this book than any other I have read recently - and mostly because I found arguments were weak or non-existent， or that the condescension was just too much。I am pleased I continued with the book because I definitely benefitted from the range of heavy-hitting interviews which do have some useful insights throughout。 I think there is genuinely some affection for the places and people visited too - although it is communicated in quite a clichéd way and with little depth。 The same points are simply reapplied in each chapter， even as the case is made for differentiation among the constituencies visited。 My final feeling is that this is a good piece of reportage and a useful snapshot of a very specific moment in time。 It will be worth revisiting in a few years， as I suspect it will show its age。 。。。more
Dave
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