Doom loop of decline: how struggling high streets fuel far-right sympathies in UK

2026-01-29 - 10:50

Retail accounts for 5% of the UK economy – but its visibility gives it an outsize influence on public perception Up and down Britain there are boarded-up shops. Banks and department stores have been replaced by vape shops, barbers and bookmakers. Shoplifting is at a record high, local services cut, and public frustration is mounting. Politically, high street decline is perfect campaign fodder for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Continue reading...