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Socialism After the United Kingdom

Interview with
Neil Davidson

Boris Johnson’s drive toward a no-deal Brexit is hastening calls for the breakup of the United Kingdom. The crisis of the British state creates opportunities for the Left’s socialist message — but only if it can navigate the messy politics of national identity.

Estonian PM Visits Downing Street For PM Johnson's First Meeting With Foreign Leader

Britain’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, welcomes his Estonian counterpart, Jüri Ratas, to number 10, ahead of a bilateral meeting on August 06, 2019 in London, England. Domininc Lipinski – WPA Pool / Getty Images

Boris Johnson recently won the vote among the Tory membership to succeed Theresa May and is now prime minister of Britain. He won based on a promise to take Britain out of the European Union by October 31, with a new Brexit deal or without one.

Here, Jacobin contributor Ashley Smith speaks to Neil Davidson about Johnson, Brexit, and the prospects and impact of a possible general election in Britain. Davidson is a member of Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st Century (rs21) and RISE — Scotland’s Left Alliance, and is the author of numerous books, including How Revolutionary Were the Bourgeois Revolutions? and We Cannot Escape History: States and Revolutions.

Ashley Smith

After trouncing his various opponents on the Tory right, Boris Johnson has become prime minister of Britain. Who is Johnson and what does he stand for?

Neil Davidson

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