The Bunker – News without the nonsense Grand Theft UK – How the Far-Right took over our politics
Apr 29, 2026
Daniel Trilling, journalist and author who studies right-wing nationalism, discusses how far-right ideas moved from the margins into Westminster. He outlines shifts in immigration rhetoric, media and establishment failures, the rise of figures like Nigel Farage and Reform UK, and the roles of social platforms. The conversation also touches on what political courage to resist this trend might look like.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
How Far Right Ideas Became Mainstream
- Far-right ideas moved from street corners into mainstream institutions as politicians, press and think tanks normalised them.
- Daniel Trilling traces this shift through media amplification, Brexit-era polarisation and social media intensifying national identity rhetoric.
BNP's Fringe Rhetoric Migrated To The Mainstream
- Trilling recalls covering the BNP as a journalist and how their extremist immigration policies once seemed marginal.
- The BNP campaigned on mass deportations and framing Muslims as part of a civilisational war, yet those themes migrated into mainstream discourse.
Far Right Is A Spectrum Not A Single Beast
- The far right is a spectrum from violent fascists to radical right electoral populists who accept democracy but undermine liberal checks.
- Trilling cites Kasmuda's split: extreme right seeks to replace democracy, radical right attacks institutions like courts and free media.
