Year of the Rat: Undercover in the British Far Right

by Harry Shukman

SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES CHARLOTTE AITKEN YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD

‘Important and courageous’ James O’Brien

'A tense account of going undercover inside Britain's far-right groups. At times it reads like a novel...only the stakes are real' Sunday Times

Harry Shukman led a double life. Friends and family knew him as a journalist, but unbeknownst to them he was secretly infiltrating the British far right. Equipped with a hidden camera, he posed as 'Chris' and set out to expose right-wing extremists.

From canvassing with Britain First to befriending Holocaust deniers, neo-Nazis and a Silicon Valley-backed race-science organisation, Shukman again and again risked his safety and sanity to remove the far right’s terrifyingly everyday mask.

Now, we must ensure it stays off.

'Anyone who wants to understand British politics has to read this book.' Grace Blakeley, author of Vulture Capitalism

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Audiobook, Race, Memoir, British Literature, Far Right

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 8, 2025

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish men could be lonely without making it everyone else’s fucking problem

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew [Sabisky] is hoping to build contacts within the Labour Party to continue influencing the next wave of policymakers... Tantalisingly, he says he ‘made friends with a spad in Starmer’s policy unit’. I ask as directly as I can who this might be, but he refuses to be drawn.
Andrew’s claim, the night we met at dinner last year, that he was ‘well-networked’ was not bluster. Despite his defenestration from the government for supporting race science, he is back in politics, almost as powerful as before... Andrew may not have changed since he first started talking about race and intelligence. He has, however, learned to alter his tactics. During our conversation, he reveals that he has been involved in pronatalist lobbying in the UK.

Tracing a year of being undercover and infiltrating a number of far-right extremist organisations, this starts off exactly where we would expect with the neo-Nazi, Holocaust deniers of groups like the Basketweavers who prey on the loneliness and alienation of young men; Patriotic Alternative, Identity England and Britain First. Their rhetoric of anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim feelings and generalised racism intersects with misogyny (they lament their lack of girlfriends and wives while asserting women shouldn't be allowed to have bank accounts) and, sometimes, a desire to replace democracy with authoritarian dictatorships. So far, so expected, even while we are stunned at the conspiracy theories that abound in these communities who profess proof for a flat earth, time machine technology which 'elites' are withholding and the idea that Stonehenge is as fake as Auschwitz.

But it's the second half that becomes really chilling as Shukman traces the resurgence of race science, eugenics and pronatalism alongside a far smarter far-right mode of operating. Backed by Silicon Valley investors, the Kremlin's shady presence and networks that penetrate to Number 10 (under Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, and now targeting Keir Starmer's government), these are the seemingly 'rational', 'objective', scientifically-based' people we really need to watch as they seek to control the gene pool and limit women's rights not just to conception but to, ideally, restrict our access to education, money and work as a means, apparently, of forcing white women to have more babies.

Backed by Hope Not Hate and having published a series of articles based on this undercover research in The Guardian, this is as much about Shukman's probing of his own conscience at his methods as it is on what he finds - particularly in the first sections, he feels a sympathy and empathy for young men searching for a solution to loneliness that leads them to being deliberately exploited and radicalised by the far-right. But that falls away in the second half, as a far slicker, globalised, well-funded movement centred on race science, eugenics and pronatalism emerges.

Obligatory reading, I'd say, for anyone interested in UK politics and beyond.

[William K.Z. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable journalistic furever, this guy goes above and beyond to give us a peek behind the far right curtain.

Unfortunately, it’s exactly as terrible, disorganised and unconvincing as you might imagine. Very enjoyable read though.

*Audio book listen

[James Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

We need community more than ever. How is the far right a viable option for so many lonely men.

[Viktoria Ungvari · Rating 5 out of 5]

made me miss pubs (really not the point of the book)

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

i feel conflicted because while i understand that it's important to understand these groups from the inside to really get to grips with the problem of the stain of the far right on british society, shukman makes several good points about the morality of his part in it all. he does, as he acknowledges, put money directly into a neo nazi's pocket, and spends several days campaigning for a far right political party, the impact of which can't be measured by a disclaimer. the mental and emotional impact it also had on shukman himself to have to put himself in these dangerous situations is also commendable but in a way i feel morally unjust. i also can't say i feel any of the sympathy shukman attempts to make us feel that these men in horrifically racist, homophobic, transphobic and misogynistic fringe groups are just victims of a non existent male loneliness epidemic. maybe they'd be less lonely if they weren't so horrendously politically aligned - they don't need a social programme to remedy or realign their political views, they need their brains rewiring.

[Euan Washbourn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting and very depressing in places. Didn’t learn anything ground breaking though. Chapter on race science could’ve have been half as long and wasn’t really about brits. Hard to make something as serious and frightening slightly dull but the author manages it

[Joe Groom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, some scary people live among us. Read the conclusion and cried but the stories w in this are crucial to understanding the current uk political system and how/why people are becoming so radicalised. We have to regulate tech companies and they have to be socialised rather than allowing them prioritising a profit based model.
In addition, hearing some of the language that is used among this “red pilled” community is terrifying to see how the current US Administration openly talks to their base through mainstream broadcasts.

[Willy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unreal read from The Sunday Times young writer of the year. Harry/Chris seems like a good guy too. Buzzing for the next one

[Rosie]

Wow. What a read. Harry Shukman is so brave for going undercover around some incredibly dangerous men. He is a brilliant writer and I really enjoyed how he laid out the hate and division he discovered in a powerful and unflinching way but was also looking for the ‘why’ for what brings people into joining the far right, without being overly-sympathetic.

I don’t know if I feel hopeful or just like there’s more despair there now for me, reading this in 2026 when everything he covers in the conclusion from 2024 has grown worse, it’s a bit of a gut punch.

My main takeaway is to confidently assume any far right individual or collective is far more racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, islamophobic, antisemitic, classist and ableist behind closed doors. Pronatalism, race science and eugenics are being pushed by the far right in the UK and across the globe, and are happening insidiously, funded by Silicon Valley.

I still have no idea how we challenge it, Shukman answers this with “there is no silver bullet”.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the serious topic, I laughed multiple times…. But as amusing as it to be reassured large parts of the far right are currently the pathetic cliches we envision - just some bastard love child of BrassEye & Monty Python sketches, acted out by flat roofed pub regulars - it’s also deeply troubling to look at the educated, rich & politically connected contingent, their unhinged beliefs, & how they are manipulating greater support & insidiously spreading their ideology.

Harry spent a year undercover in various groups, including well known ones like Britain First, & his reflections on this are an engaging read for anyone from the UK. Because sadly, these groups have mastered the art of drawing in men who are lonely, who want to matter, to feel important, or whose lives haven’t turned out how they envisioned, & offering them the mirage of community, purpose, & value (&/or scapegoats). It’s easy to feel sorry for some of them, to see how better social emotional support & education would have avoided their far right journey. But what’s left largely unexamined here is what came first, the chicken or the egg / loneliness or abhorrent beliefs.

What I found most interesting was the tactics of courting negative press, in the hopes it gains traction with people who hate to see others ‘unjustly’ attacked. This is a serious issue with the rise of the ‘respectable’ Right & Reform. When the Centre & Left won’t engage properly in the discussions of the negatives associated with our immigration systems, or the aspects of genuine concern with the slide towards a real life Idiocracy, the door is left wide open for xenophobia, nationalism & eugenics - when what is really needed is reduced wealth inequality (financially & geographically), improved education, community building & facilities.

Pick up & embrace the rollercoaster of horrified giggles through to stomach churning revulsion at the morality void operating near the top of these systems. Those embracing the far right to justify their own privilege are the worst - including some who support “not genocide”-ing a people out of the gene pool & promoting speciation. Sometimes we need to look inside the other echo chambers.

[Jade Anastasia]

First of all, huge props to Harry for even wanting to go undercover for this research let alone managing to keep his sanity while doing it, this was some heavy journalism!

Terrifying but also we kind of knew this was the shit going on behind closed doors in the far right. Broaching topics like immigration, eugenics, antisemitism and race science alongside the people in these groups opinions on them, this isn’t a light read. It does cover up to reform elections and Stockport riots so it is incredibly relevant to right now and I feel in these next few years leading into the next election in 29.

I do feel like this book does a good job on also discussing how these groups really do exploit vulnerable people who are lonely and in search of community and it’s really a slippery pipeline of beliefs from that point. As I’m sure many others have, I’ve seen friends and family go down this route and it did make me better understand how it happened and what I can do in those conversations going forward.

[Fer Prz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always approach books that delve into right leaning or left leaning politics with a healthy dose of skepticism. There’s always an agenda at play. Facts and tangible actions should always complement this kind of reading, no matter which side.

This book draws on a definition of the far right as outlined by Cas Mudde, a political scientist at the University of Georgia. He describes it as an 'anti-system' ideology, hostile to liberal democracy. Far-right beliefs tend to encompass a mix of authoritarianism, sexism, xenophobia, racism and populism. Extreme right ideologies believe that inequalities are natural and outside of the purview of the state.

I enjoyed the book since it covered a lot of topics that are mentioned by young streamers. Right/Left wing grifting through social media is something I’ve spoken about with my teenage kids. The more informed we all are the better.

The author Harry Shukman is a journalist and activist based in the UK. He works for HOPE not hate, a self proclaimed anti fascist organization. Using a pseudonym, Harry develops an alternate persona named ‘Chris’ to infiltrate several right wing groups.

Chris spends a year commingling with several groups to understand their motivations, aspirations, and investors. It should come as no surprise that there are targeted and well funded efforts to influence society and it is happening in the digital and physical space. These right leaning groups are fringe and don’t have a lot of influence or resources. Based on the author’s findings, the great replacement theory or the fear of being manipulated by Jewish propaganda through the mainstream media are used by actors to recruit people that are easily fooled or are vulnerable to outlandish ideas such as semen retention.

It mostly discredits the groups and minimizes them to simpletons but the threat of violence is always present. After all a simpleton with a weapon and wicked thoughts is very dangerous.

Race science, eugenics, deportation, asylum protest/attacks were some of the topics that overlapped within these groups. As a Puerto Rican, I got reminded of our past with the recent performance by Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl. Some of these ideas were put to practice on the “second tier” U.S. citizens a few decades ago.

I have a 30 something year old family member that’s always parroting some points raised in this book. But when we offer push back or offer counter arguments, the response is “it’s just to get people to react”. Right wing radicalism and extremism sometimes just needs a small gap to make a breakthrough. It has happened in the past and is ever developing in the present.

[Marybeth ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, I was quite scared for him in some parts with the undercover work and cameras!
However, I can’t say I’m entirely surprised that these neo Nazi men are finding it hard connecting with real people, especially in pursuit of their “perfect white race”.
I wasn’t surprised to find the funding came from wealthy Silicon Valley morons either.
Elon musk continually popping up is also a frightening reminder that we really need to pay heed to what these delusional rich people are saying.

Some men are not lonely enough!

[Martha Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first audiobook and my first non-fiction in like 3/4 years

Bit of a crazy listen, the type of crazy conspiracy stuff I am convinced doesn’t happen actually does happen?

I need someone with kindle highlights to read this book so everyone can see how unhygienic the far right are x

I hate that we have to be nice to loser lonely men to make them believe minorities and women are people too :(

[Kathryn Hancock · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars- this was (obviously) deeply depressing. Perhaps these lonely men should try filling their time with something other than racism????

[Lottie Tyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so much

[Chris Botham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting insights into the far-right in Britain, who thankfully are largely unorganised and without significant funding.

I'm not sure if there were loads of new insights through this book, but I enjoyed the parts in particular where he analysed how lonely, young men are drawn-in and eventually wrung-out by far-right figures.

The author says there's no silver bullet to stop the far-right, which I don't necessarily agree with. The draw to the far-right, as he highlights in his book, always stems from alienation from work and wider society. A Marxist analysis here gives a clear solution; empower the working class and raise living standards for all. The author needed better analysis here to draw the book to a better close.

Some really interesting parts to the book for sure, but not revolutionary.

[Charlotte De Klerck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arguably the most important book I have read all year.

I thought I knew a lot about the far right underworld. Turns out I knew close to nothing about its depth.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fascinating and obviously somewhat terrifying. I was struck by despite the varying political success of these different factions, just how socially dysfunctional many of these siloed communities or big characters proved to be in private settings.

It obviously makes sense, right? These people are losers by definition, pushed to societal fringes and extreme ideas. But couples squabbling at length over menu options, self-proclaimed betting aficionados admitting their next bet is all they have left, and supposedly serious political leaders raging at their social circles constituting unreliable layabouts and drunks who piss on tents. There’s moments of brief respite as you sort of revel in the failures and awkwardness of these groups in which Shukman has embedded himself.

Then, of course, the fear comes back - for every story of supposed influencers overstating their reputations and then feeling betrayed when their communities don’t support them in times of need, there’s a political operative unable to keep quiet about just how close they’ve gotten to the levers of power, and just which big names have provided them with ample financial backing.

I would’ve liked more discussion/analysis on these individual characters or the ways in which the different subfactions operate (how they recruit, who do they target and how, what are their biggest barriers to success, etc) as Shukman has obviously picked up a lot of insights, and sometimes it feels like he might have more to say. However, it feels hard to ask for any more from a journalistic perspective because the sheer scope of the project, which is really impressive. Good book, horrendous topic!

[Larry Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply, deeply terrifying

[W.S. Luk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chronicling an ambitious undercover investigation into Britain's far-right, YEAR OF THE RAT examines the inner workings of these groups and how they entice people, from regular civilians to major figures in government and business, into racist and extremist ideologies. I'd read about Hope Not Hate's investigation into the Human Diversity Foundation last year, and was pleased to get a more in-depth look at how far-right groups operate and construct a mask of legitimacy. Shukman paints an unsparing but empathetic portrait of his subjects, showing how many are motivated by alienation and loneliness, but also highlighting the legitimate threats posed by ideologies like Holocaust denial and anti-immigrant conspiracy theories. Anyone who's appreciated works of investigative journalism like Jamie Tahsin's Clown World: Four Years Inside Andrew Tate's Manosphere will find YEAR OF THE RAT a worthwhile analysis of modern-day extremism.

[Fairy princess · Rating 1 out of 5]

It presents itself as an urgent exposé, but in reality it’s sensationalist journalism dressed up as serious investigation. He relies heavily on stereotypes, clichés, and a “shock factor” style of writing. Basically it's a long magazine article padded into a book. The undercover element feels less like brave journalism and more like role-play, It’s clear the goal isn’t truth but drama.
The book demonises whole groups through selective anecdotes and caricatures, turning complex and important social problems into entertainment. The result is propaganda.
If you’re looking for balanced reporting, or even basic intellectual honesty, you won’t find it here.

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most interesting parts of this book is just the pure logistics of going undercover!

Well written, gripping and informative. I would really recommend this book.

I knocked off a star as it was slightly inconclusive (but this is almost to be expected due to the constraints of being undercover with a cap of just one year).

[Jesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

honestly at the end i was just left staggered. it all goes so deep, and it’s so well funded

[sahil bhura · Rating 5 out of 5]

hated that

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Descending into a subculture run on male isolation and political disaffection, Harry Shukman reveals the far-right world gaining an alarming traction among young men.

This International Women’s Day, we were once again treated to the newest IPSOS stats. The majority of men feel we have gone so far in promoting women's equality that we are discriminating against men. More than Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millenials, 31% of Gen Z men believe a woman should always obey her husband. Again, higher than previous generations, 31% of Gen Z men believe a woman shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ to her friends. This combination of a heightened feeling of male persecution, an increased respect for traditional values among young men, and the harsher policing of emotional expression signal a shift among young men and a growing divide between the sexes.

To fit in Harry adopts an alter-ego, Chris, and blends in seamlessly by pretending to be a little stupid and shy. Due to fears of journalists infiltrating the organisations, Chris has to start at the surface and work his way in deeper. His first stop is the Basket Weavers: a group of sad men whose clandestine meetings take place in dingy pub back rooms. Surprisingly, though these men meet in large part out of loneliness, they are not actually nice to one another and perpetuate the system they criticise. (For example, by berating less sexually experienced and less wealthy members.) Their conversations, unsurprisingly, often end up being deeply racist, antisemitic, and eugenicist.

It’s hard to see how it can get much worse from there, but Chris quickly finds himself among people who openly support Hitler, talk about raping women, and believe in the great replacement theory. It’s also interesting how big a role Covid has played in also boosting the salience of some previously marginal ideas around medical scepticism and the deep state. When he finally gets his invite to Britain First, Chris canvasses with the group and is exposed their intense racism.

Throughout the book, groups use the idea that the average IQ in Africa is around 70 (at the edge of mild intellectual disability) while it is around 100 in Europe. This data is based on absolutely tiny sample sizes with research often conducted on minors, recent war refugees, and those who have not had any formal schooling. On top of this, they disregard all evidence to the contrary when calculating their averages.

Nonetheless, and in contrast to the image they project, they seem afraid of having to talk to the people they insult. While door-knocking they cross off all non-white sounding names and make up excuses to politely leave if someone black or brown does answer the door.

Up to this point it seems that, as always with grand plans to save civilisation, these are concocted by a cohort of lonely men too shy to ask each other out for a drink. Losers with a heroic number of unruly group chats and a talent for misunderstanding statistics. They talk endlessly about superior genes… bold, for a group I’d be genuinely offended to be hit on by.

But what’s scary is that some of these ideas are being advocated for by people with genuine connections to power. There’s an IVF clinic Chris gets referred to which uses the fascination with IQ to market a service where customers can supposedly select the cleverest embryos and breed a master race. Women, of course, are absent from these plans besides as the human ovens expected to carry these children to term. By posing as an investor, Chris also find out that Andrew Sabisky, previously fired for his extreme pronatalist views, is still being consulted in designing government policy. And, most shocking of all, that the Pioneer Fund, the biggest funder of anti-desegregation in the American South has not disappeared but just moved underground.

[Phoebe Gillespie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, at first I wasn’t sure what the book was trying to do. A man goes undercover to racist events and is shocked to hear… racist things? For a few chapters I couldn’t quite tell who the intended audience was. But as it went on, the point started to land, and quite powerfully: this isn’t about stating the obvious, it’s about showing how casually and confidently these views are expressed when they think no one is watching.

Weirdly, it ended up reassuring me. It validated a lot of what I already believe about these groups and the ecosystem around them, and made me feel quite grounded in my own political alignment. If anything, it convinced me I’ve made the right calls in how I interpret the far-right rhetoric we see online and in the news.

What did genuinely sadden me was the way these movements feed off the male loneliness epidemic. So many of the men Shukman meets aren’t real ideologues, they’re just isolated, directionless, or desperate for someone to tell them they matter. It’s bleak that extremist groups have learned to weaponise that.

And then there’s the infighting. The egos. The little power struggles. The obsession with money, gross wealth and self-importance inside these tiny organisations like Britain First and others practically tripping over themselves for donations, YouTube views, “clout”. It honestly makes them look too chaotic and self-serving to ever become anything significant.

Where the book really steps up a level is when Shukman moves into the more elite, quietly influential corners of the far right. The Andrew Sabisky chapters are fascinating and concerning, especially the conversations about routes to Indefinite Leave to Remain and how this makes me this…did this intersect with Labour’s shifting immigration policy?! That part felt genuinely unsettling. I can’t help wondering; is he still influencing things from the shadows? And if so, how far does that reach go?

I was fully absorbed by the end, I learned a lot (sadly), and it was very compelling. Highly recommended.

[Niamh Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this was a wonderful piece of journalism this book doesn’t sit completely right with me for a few reasons: Fiirstly, a lot of the conclusions/evidence that Shukman finds have been both intuitive and apparent to me (and i think anyone with an online presence/interest in politics) for a while now. Yes, people actually do believe the crazy tinfoil hat conspiracy theories you’ve heard. Perhaps this book would have been of more value to an ignorant centrist who refuses to believe that this kind of vile racism ‘actually exists’ in real life? If Shukman is trying to provide undeniable proof to expose the existence of these communities, then he wholeheartedly succeeds. Secondly, i found that large sections of the book focused on Shukman’s fear that his undercover mission would be found out, rather than further in depth discussion of the circles he infiltrated. I do not doubt that Shukman is a very brave man who put himself at significant risk researching the far right - but after the 10th mention it became a little repetitive. Finally, i cannot comprehend how someone can sit alongside some of the most vile, pathetic, hateful men for a year and still manage to conjure up some kind of empathy for them. Understanding does not have to require empathy or sympathy. I truly do not give a fuck if these men are lonely!

[Miranda]

Think I caught something that slipped through the net: the book mentions that Blinkist was founded by Erik Ahrens, but I can't find any evidence of this online. Nor is there an in-text citation to back this up. Genuinely shocking if Blinkist really is a far-right vehicle as this book claims; can't say I've used it myself, but I know it's popular. But, if it's not true... then this is quite a serious false accusation, no?

Maybe more thoughts to come, but this is a difficult book to review