The Rest Is Politics The Real Reasons Populism Is Taking Over
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Apr 2, 2026 
Liam Byrne, Labour MP, former minister and author on populism, digs into why the movement feels so powerful. He explores how financial crises, wage stagnation and local decline fuel anger. They get into strongman politics, nostalgia, blame, and why broken systems make disruption so appealing.
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How The Financial Crash Broke Democracy's Promise
- Liam Byrne argues populism surged after the financial crash broke the promise that hard work leads to progress.
- Wage growth fell from 1.5% to 0.5%, while declining high streets, closed libraries, and local decay deepened anger and pessimism.
Why Struggling Voters Back Rich Strongmen
- Byrne says low growth turns politics into a zero-sum fight, making voters want a strongman to defend their share.
- Trump supporters describe him as tough enough to "derig the economy" for working people, even though Byrne calls that a myth.
The Treasury Realised Living Standards Had Stalled Early
- Byrne recalls Treasury work in 2009 that found British living standards had already plateaued by 2004 or 2005.
- He says New Labour missed how trade and technology stopped lifting wages, while the top 1% later multiplied wealth 31 times faster.
