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cover of episode Is Britain in Denial About the Far Right? With Harry Shukman

Is Britain in Denial About the Far Right? With Harry Shukman

2025/6/17
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Harry Shukman: 作为一名记者，我最初对反疫苗者和极右翼分子在疫情期间的合作产生了兴趣。为了更深入地了解他们，我采取了卧底的方式，伪装成一个同路人。这种方法出乎意料地有效，它为我打开了方便之门，使我能够与那些通常对媒体持怀疑态度的人建立联系。通过长期的关系建立，我得以构建这些人的立体画像，并揭示他们用来欺骗记者的面具。在这些极右翼组织中，我发现他们普遍感到孤独，渴望融入社群。他们对如何避免媒体、警察或反法西斯活动家的审查有着深刻的理解，并采取各种隐蔽策略来掩盖其真实意图。例如，“篮子编织者”通过不参与政治活动，为年轻人提供了一个进入极右翼激进行为的低门槛。为了更深入地渗透到极右翼圈子，我创造了一个非常普通且无聊的身份，以便能够融入并倾听。然而，随着卧底工作的深入，我发现自己越来越难以扮演这个角色，因为我必须压抑自己对种族主义笑话的反应，并对无法阻止极右翼分子分裂社区感到内疚。为了进一步揭露极右翼的资金来源，我改变了克里斯的身份，让他成为一个有钱的投资者。这个策略非常成功，它为我打开了很多扇门，使我能够接触到那些隐藏在幕后的金主。通过卧底调查，我发现英国极右翼的很多人都在试图隐瞒他们的议程。他们普遍认为，某些文化、民族甚至信仰与英国的生活方式完全不相容，必须将它们清除。公众有权知道他们何时受到种族科学、优生学和重新迁移等思想的影响。因此，我认为这种卧底调查是正当的，它有助于揭露极右翼的真面目，并阻止其蔓延。

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Journalist Harry Shukman spent over a year undercover investigating the British far-right, gaining insights into their secret meetings and activities. His investigation exposed how far-right ideologies are being normalized, often with surprising allies.
  • Harry Shukman's undercover investigation of the British far-right
  • Exposure of secret meetings, pub gatherings, and neo-Nazi conferences
  • Normalization of far-right ideologies with allies in big tech, government, and mainstream media

Shownotes Transcript

What is happening behind closed doors in Britain’s far right movement?

On today’s episode, we’re joined by journalist Harry Shukman, the journalist who spent over a year undercover investigating the British far right.

Drawing on his new book,* Year of the Rat,* Shukman sheds light on the secret meetings, pub gatherings, political canvassing, and neo-Nazi conferences at the heart of the extreme right-wing activity in Britain. Through his investigations, Shukman has effectively exposed the mechanics of how far-right ideologies – from eugenics to Holocaust denial – are being normalised across the country, often with surprising allies in big tech, government, and the mainstream media.

Harry Shukman is a researcher at HOPE not hate, an anti-fascist organisation. Formerly a journalist, he worked as a news reporter for The Times and then a writer and editor for the Manchester Mill.

Joining him to discuss the book is Carl Miller, the journalist, co-founder of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at Demos, and host of crime podcast Kill List.

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