Drinking Alone: Local Socio-Cultural Degradation and Radical Right Support—The Case of British Pub Closures
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Level 3 by design analogy (observational longitudinal panel study linked to district-level data).
OpenAlex W3133494150 · doi:10.1177/0010414021997158
What was done
The author investigated whether the loss of local community infrastructure affects radical right support by analyzing the relationship between British community pub closures and UK Independence Party (UKIP) support. The study combined district-level metrics from an original dataset on pub closures with UK longitudinal panel data collected between 2013 and 2016.
What was found
Individuals living in districts that experienced one additional community pub closure (relative to the district's total pub count) were 4.3 percentage points more likely to support UKIP than any other party. This effect was reported to be magnified under conditions of local material deprivation.
Why it matters
It provides empirical support for the theory that the erosion of local socio-cultural hubs and third places contributes to feelings of identity loss and social isolation, influencing radical right political mobilization.
Limits
The abstract does not state the total participant or district sample size, exact confidence intervals, or precise statistical controls. As an observational study, residual confounding from concurrent local economic declines, demographic changes, or broader political shifts during the 2013–2016 period cannot be fully ruled out.
Cited by
- context The United Kingdom has 40% fewer pubs post-COVID.