Broken Heartlands

Reviews

A compelling chronicle of why English politics is undergoing such fundamental change. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand England today Reminiscent of Orwell's The Road to Wigan Pier, Payne travels around Labour's former 'red wall' to paint a stark picture of those left behind Payne’s entertaining and insightful book is essential reading Comprehensive and entertaining One of the book’s many strengths is its precision . . . Payne’s book examines the narratives on Red Wall constituencies like the layers of an onion: starting with superficial readings, before peeling them back to reveal greater complexity Entertaining political travelogue . . . plenty of insights . . . Payne is a guide without any trace of snobbery Payne, who grew up in Gateshead . . . has an instinctive rapport with people who feel overlooked and abandoned by Labour First class political reportage . . . should be considered required reading for anyone interested in British politics Nuanced take on Labour's lost strongholds. Raised in Gateshead, Payne brings intimacy and depth Broken Heartlands digs into the fabric of the post-industrial communities that only make headlines at election time and challenges received wisdom and lazy myths It's difficult to become a Westminster institution and be a successful leader writer on the Financial Times before you're 30, but Sebastian Payne has achieved both Broken Heartlands is the product of rich reporting on the ground . . . Payne tells many stories of many places and people with affection and respect, to weave a picture of the changing political fabric of England The political book of the year about one of the most consequential elections of my lifetime. Essential reading A really fascinating and surprisingly moving book. Payne takes us on a journey that feels personal as well as political and helps us better understand what the red wall really is, who its voters are, and what politics has meant to them over the past few tumultuous years A must-read for all those who want to learn the lessons of Labour's 2019 defeat Sebastian Payne demolishes the clichés that smother debate about the north of England and provides a simultaneously tender and acute guide to the land that London forgot Part travelogue, part Question Time, Payne interviews pretty much everyone. This is a first draft of history as first drafts of history should properly be written Immensely readable. Labour’s crisis in the red wall . . . will shape the future of English politics. This engrossing, warm and insightful work is an indispensable guide to how it came about Compelling, authoritative but human . . . the book will inevitably become an important resource for historians Expand reviews