Rafael Behr on Anger, Survival
and the Wreckage of British Politics

Britain in 2026 is a country still reckoning with itself. A decade after the Brexit referendum fractured the political landscape, the economic consequences have yet to be absorbed. A voting system designed for two parties now strains to contain five, leaving large portions of the electorate feeling unrepresented. Trust in institutions has eroded. Reform UK leads the polls. The transatlantic relationship that anchored British foreign policy for generations is under open strain, as Washington pulls in directions that Europe is no longer willing to follow.

In this conversation, Rafael Behr, Guardian columnist and author, ranges across the collapse of trust in British institutions, the rise of Nigel Farage and Reform UK, the failure of the liberal centre to construct a compelling counter-narrative, Britain’s complicated relationship with Europe and its place in a shifting global order, and the question of whether British democracy retains the capacity to renew itself.

We spoke on 20 March 2026. In the weeks since, the ground has shifted considerably. Starmer has announced a decisive pivot toward Brussels as Britain’s relationship with Washington deteriorates over the war in Iran. Much of what Behr argues in this conversation has only become more urgent.

Reya von Galen

Rafael Behr is columnist at The Guardian newspaper, hosts the podcast “Politics On The Couch” and is author of “Politics : A Survivor’s Guide” published in 2023 by Atlantic Books