Alt-right and proud: An interview with a Loughborough student follower of the populist right

2016 was held by many as a year of extreme politics and dissatisfaction with the establishment.

Whilst some values of the alt-right might be contrary to essential cultural aspects of British society, it is only right we give airtime to those with views not so commonly shared across university campuses.

Universities in the modern day have become a safe-haven for liberal thinkers, undoubtedly to the detriment of those with opposing views.

This was best expressed by opposition from splinter groups at Oxford Union, who attempted to refute a platform to Germaine Greer and Peter Hitchens for holding social views against the majority verdict.

Here, we will delve outside of the left-wing echo chamber and examine current affairs from a different perspective in an interview with a follower of the populist right that attends Loughborough University. The first year student wishes to remain anonymous.

Put simply, what is the ‘alt-right’?

The alt-right is a movement of liberal nationalism. It’s about preserving the integrity of the nation while also keeping everything as free and fair as possible. It’s about freedom of speech, and the freedom to act in our best interests.

Do you see Britain’s vote to leave the European Union in a positive light?

Of course I do! I campaigned and voted for the vote to leave the Union, and I see much of the negative press around the vote as being defeatist and, in a way, almost trying to sabotage the whole process by creating a flurry of “fake bad news.”

Is a Trump presidency as dangerous as people make it out to be?

Of course it isn’t. He’s a figurehead, and he still needs to have Congress on his side to enact anything. As we can see with the current 9th circuit court ruling on the travel ban, Trump doesn’t have the power to push through certain policies he promised on the campaign trail.

Who are your conservative heroes?

I would say Winston Churchill is my key hero of conservatism. I find his stoicism admirable, and I often find myself using his adverbs. Nigel Farage is my other hero. I don’t think it needs to be said, but there are few people in British political history who have been the catalyst for so much change without ever holding a seat in Parliament.

The Holt Trinity

Is the political left rapidly declining in the Western World?

I believe that it is indeed declining. Class is no longer an issue in modern society, and many of the left’s key arguments- nationalisation, high taxation, etc- are shown to be obsolete, or in the case of hysterical “social justice”, absolutely insane. Today’s world is about globalisation, and who wins and loses.

Do you think universities are intrinsically left-leaning?

Not so much universities as the education system as a whole. I don’t know enough to say, but I find it telling that most of those twenty-one and under have very left leaning views.

Sell anti-establishment politics to me:

That’s not my job. It’s up to you to make your own mind up!

Does Jeremy Corbyn need to resign for the sake of political opposition?

I believe he does. Labour at the moment is just not putting up proper opposition to the government, and his leadership is collapsing the Labour Party’s support as a whole. A one party state is not a good thing.

Is Loughborough archetypal of most liberal higher education institutes?

I do not believe so. The referendum to leave the NUS show there is a more restrained culture here. I’ve personally found it to be a delightful university, and it really surprised me how “normal” the culture is here, talking politically at least!