This is Not Normal: The Collapse of Liberal Britain

The UK has been in a crisis of its own making since 2016, caused by the disruption of political parties, the mainstream media, public experts, and officials. This Is Not Normal by Jonathan Davies examines the underlying logic and long-term causes of this crisis, including the 2008 financial crash, the failure of the British neoliberal project, the dying of Empire, and the impact of technology and communications on the public sphere and the power of information.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 28 September 2021
Publisher: Verso Books

The UK has been in a crisis of its own making since 2016, but this is not the fault of Brexit but of a larger problem of our politics. The status of political parties, the mainstream media, public experts, and officials have all been disrupted. Along the way, there have been shocking and exhilarating events, such as the unforeseen 2017 election result, the horrific details of Grenfell Tower and the Windrush scandal, the sudden rise and fall of the Brexit Party. As the mainstream of politics and media has come under attack, the basic norms of public life have been thrown into question.

This Is Not Normal takes stock of a historical moment that no longer recognises itself. Davies tells a story of the apparently chaotic and irrational events and extracts their underlying logic and long-term causes. What we are seeing is the effects of the 2008 financial crash, the failure of the British neoliberal project, the dying of Empire, and the impact of the changes that technology and communications have had on the idea of the public sphere as well as the power of information. This is an essential book for anyone who wants to make sense of this current moment.

Weight: 210g
Dimension: 129 x 198 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781839760990