Between the crises: migration politics and the three periods of neoliberalism

Mulvey, G. and Davidson, N. (2019) Between the crises: migration politics and the three periods of neoliberalism. Capital and Class, 43(2), pp. 271-292. (doi: 10.1177/0309816818780652)

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Abstract

Between the two UK referendums on European Community/European Union membership, the issue of migration came to dominate the entire debate. The period between 1975 and 2016 corresponds almost exactly to the neoliberal era in capitalism, in its British manifestation, and this is not coincidental. This article traces the shifting periods of neoliberalism (‘vanguard’, ‘social’ and ‘crisis’) across these 40 years, focusing in each case on how the policies associated with them specifically impacted migration into the United Kingdom. In particular, it will argue that the current migration crisis is at least partly an aspect of the wider crisis of neoliberalism as a form of capitalist organisation. It concludes that current levels of anti-migrant sentiment are a displaced expression of hostility to the social effects of neoliberalism, and which may nevertheless cause difficulties for British capital through the imposition of anti-free movement policies to which it is opposed.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Mulvey, Dr Gareth and Davidson, Mr Neil
Authors: Mulvey, G., and Davidson, N.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Sociology Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences
Journal Name:Capital and Class
Publisher:SAGE Publications
ISSN:0309-8168
ISSN (Online):2041-0980
Published Online:22 June 2018
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2018 The Authors
First Published:First published in Capital and Class 43(2): 271-292
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

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