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Why Populists are Winning: and How to Beat Them
Not yet published
Expected 23 Jun 26In 2024, two billion people went to vote – and populism won big. Donald Trump returned to the White House. Marine Le Pen surged in France. Reform UK became Britain's most successful far-right party in modern history. Across the West, authoritarian populists now govern one-quarter of the world's democracies.
But is this peak populism – or the populists' tipping point?
From the counting halls of inner-city Birmingham to the trading floors of Wall Street, from the Heritage Foundation war room to the algorithmic outrage machines of social media, Liam Byrne exposes the forces propelling the populist surge – and reveals how to stop it.
Drawing on original polling of thousands of voters, interviews with leading thinkers, and on-the-ground reporting across Britain, Europe and America, Byrne decodes the populist playbook. He reveals populism's five tribes, showing which voters can still be won back. He traces the millions flowing into Britain's populist media-political complex. He maps the rhetoric populists use to weaponise fear and nostalgia. And he warns: democracies rarely collapse in normal times – they fall after the next crisis, when hope collapses.
WHY POPULISTS ARE WINNING sets out a bold plan to rebuild the radical centre of Western politics. It is a field manual for democratic renewal – written for anyone who refuses to let fear win.
But is this peak populism – or the populists' tipping point?
From the counting halls of inner-city Birmingham to the trading floors of Wall Street, from the Heritage Foundation war room to the algorithmic outrage machines of social media, Liam Byrne exposes the forces propelling the populist surge – and reveals how to stop it.
Drawing on original polling of thousands of voters, interviews with leading thinkers, and on-the-ground reporting across Britain, Europe and America, Byrne decodes the populist playbook. He reveals populism's five tribes, showing which voters can still be won back. He traces the millions flowing into Britain's populist media-political complex. He maps the rhetoric populists use to weaponise fear and nostalgia. And he warns: democracies rarely collapse in normal times – they fall after the next crisis, when hope collapses.
WHY POPULISTS ARE WINNING sets out a bold plan to rebuild the radical centre of Western politics. It is a field manual for democratic renewal – written for anyone who refuses to let fear win.
- GenresPoliticsNonfiction
224 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication June 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 25, 2026
I really enjoyed this book! I feel like this book is an example of an MP listening to his constituents and what they want. Byrne has answered the questions we need to know.
When I pre-ordered this book, I had no idea who Byrne was, but I thought this book would be incredibly informational. As a Masters student studying Ancient Athenian democracy and politics, I always want to look at modern politics and see what has changed or has stayed the same. When I finished the book, I was not left disappointed!
This book is full of statistics, interviews, and facts that managed to inform me and calm me down. This topic can be extremely overwhelming, especially in the current political climate. But this book managed to tackle the topic sensitively but also informatively. The way he managed to look at European and American populists and connect them together was astounding! I completely and utterly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about global populism and how to approach/attack it.
When I pre-ordered this book, I had no idea who Byrne was, but I thought this book would be incredibly informational. As a Masters student studying Ancient Athenian democracy and politics, I always want to look at modern politics and see what has changed or has stayed the same. When I finished the book, I was not left disappointed!
This book is full of statistics, interviews, and facts that managed to inform me and calm me down. This topic can be extremely overwhelming, especially in the current political climate. But this book managed to tackle the topic sensitively but also informatively. The way he managed to look at European and American populists and connect them together was astounding! I completely and utterly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about global populism and how to approach/attack it.
Review of advance copy
A very well researched approach to how populism has risen, yet lackluster in terms of "how to beat them".
It is laid out well, from start to finish with a narrative flow that helps the reader from part to part without being too heavy and Mr. Bryne is very good at explaining what all these issues could mean. From crypto currencies to polarisation, it explains the "Why they are winning" very well.
It loses itself in the last chapter, spending a lot of time on "how to beat them" as a political rally. A couple pages are spent saying what there is to be proud about the nation but it didn't resonate with me at all (but maybe it's because I'm a sour Scottish man).
Either way, worth a read as it can give some tactics on how to speak and challenge people. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in political discussion or just wanting an understanding of what is going on right now
It is laid out well, from start to finish with a narrative flow that helps the reader from part to part without being too heavy and Mr. Bryne is very good at explaining what all these issues could mean. From crypto currencies to polarisation, it explains the "Why they are winning" very well.
It loses itself in the last chapter, spending a lot of time on "how to beat them" as a political rally. A couple pages are spent saying what there is to be proud about the nation but it didn't resonate with me at all (but maybe it's because I'm a sour Scottish man).
Either way, worth a read as it can give some tactics on how to speak and challenge people. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in political discussion or just wanting an understanding of what is going on right now
April 24, 2026
Liam is a big Roosevelt fan
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley & Head of Zeus for the ARC.
3.5 ⭐️
I genuinely enjoyed the concept of this book and came away more informed than when I started. One of its greatest strengths is how it roots the rise of UK populism within a much broader global picture, drawing clear ties to Donald Trump and movements across other western societies. It’s both sobering and eye-opening to see how interconnected these forces really are.
That said, the book isn’t without its weaknesses. The strategies proposed for countering populism were compelling in places, but certain ideas and themes were revisited a bit too often, which slowed the momentum. Some of the solutions also felt very specific to the UK political system and wouldn’t easily translate to an American context, though as an American reader I still found real value in understanding the bigger picture.
Overall, I’m glad I read it. It’s an imperfect but worthwhile read for anyone trying to make sense of the current political moment on both sides of the Atlantic. The fight continues…
3.5 ⭐️
I genuinely enjoyed the concept of this book and came away more informed than when I started. One of its greatest strengths is how it roots the rise of UK populism within a much broader global picture, drawing clear ties to Donald Trump and movements across other western societies. It’s both sobering and eye-opening to see how interconnected these forces really are.
That said, the book isn’t without its weaknesses. The strategies proposed for countering populism were compelling in places, but certain ideas and themes were revisited a bit too often, which slowed the momentum. Some of the solutions also felt very specific to the UK political system and wouldn’t easily translate to an American context, though as an American reader I still found real value in understanding the bigger picture.
Overall, I’m glad I read it. It’s an imperfect but worthwhile read for anyone trying to make sense of the current political moment on both sides of the Atlantic. The fight continues…
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is an accessible and timely look at the rise of populism, written in a way that’s easy to follow without feeling too academic. The author connects developments in Britain with wider political shifts, showing how similar patterns are appearing across different countries. I appreciated the attempt to move beyond just describing the problem and instead offer ideas about how mainstream politics might respond. There’s plenty here that prompts reflection, particularly around messaging, trust, and the changing relationship between voters and institutions.
However, I did find myself wishing the analysis dug a little deeper in places. Some arguments feel briefly sketched rather than fully explored, and a few of the suggested solutions come across as more aspirational than practical. Even so, it’s a worthwhile overview that helps frame the current political climate and encourages further reading, especially if you’re looking for a broad introduction rather than a heavy, academic study.
Many thanks to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for providing this advanced copy
However, I did find myself wishing the analysis dug a little deeper in places. Some arguments feel briefly sketched rather than fully explored, and a few of the suggested solutions come across as more aspirational than practical. Even so, it’s a worthwhile overview that helps frame the current political climate and encourages further reading, especially if you’re looking for a broad introduction rather than a heavy, academic study.
Many thanks to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for providing this advanced copy
Review of advance copy
This is a bit all over the place for me, with good bits and less convincing ones. This is only about right wing populism (largely Reform UK, with a little on other European countries, which perhaps we share more in common with than Trump's America), and doesnt seek to address the reasons why people would be attracted to left wing populists, some of their own pitfalls, or how they could be part of the 'beating them'.
If you are genuinely baffled at why anyone would vote Reform, the author produces some good summaries and insights into these types and how persuadeable they are to not doing so. However on the 'beating' I felt it relied too much on historical figures of the past rather than acknowledging we don't know the future.
If you are genuinely baffled at why anyone would vote Reform, the author produces some good summaries and insights into these types and how persuadeable they are to not doing so. However on the 'beating' I felt it relied too much on historical figures of the past rather than acknowledging we don't know the future.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a short book and an easy read, but I would have liked a deeper dive. It only scratches the surface of the topic, so I felt I didn't really learn anything I didn't already get from newspaper articles. The discussion is unfortunately mostly surface level and focused almost entirely on the UK (with a little on Trump) but the book never fully gets to grips with why populists are winning.
This is a short book and an easy read, but I would have liked a deeper dive. It only scratches the surface of the topic, so I felt I didn't really learn anything I didn't already get from newspaper articles. The discussion is unfortunately mostly surface level and focused almost entirely on the UK (with a little on Trump) but the book never fully gets to grips with why populists are winning.
Review of advance copy
Besides the whole tirade regarding how mighty Britain and Teddy Roosevelt are, it was a decent exploration on voters of populists. The random mention of Henry Kissinger caught me off guard but besides these small issues I find this book to be worthy of reading, especially for people who are slightly interested in politics.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews