Neoliberalisation, authoritarianism & the police in Britain

The aim of this thesis is to further develop our understanding of the relationship between neoliberalisation and authoritarian state reconfigurations in Britain. The emerging literature on authoritarian neoliberalism has contributed substantially to our knowledge in this regard. However, it has only paid limited attention to aspects of physical coercion and policing which are crucial to this dynamic. Thus, I ask: What is the relationship between neoliberalisation and policing in Britain—and what can it tell us about authoritarian state reconfigurations? This question is addressed by bringing together methods and insights from different disciplines. Drawing on literature from international political economy, criminology and urban studies, I employ a historical and conceptual analysis of policing, state coercion and neoliberalisation. I examine political narratives and speeches, consider crime statistics and socio-economic metrics. Most importantly, I provide a qualitative case study based on semi-structured in-depths interviews in marginalised and transforming communities in South London that have been particularly exposed to authoritarian neoliberal reforms and coercive policing. The main finding of the thesis is that neoliberalisation has entailed a more authoritarian state configuration as expressed through an increasingly central role of the police and policing logic for the state, especially with regards to the police’s involvement in the provision of welfare services. This is especially true for the period since 2010 where a clear, yet paradoxical, increase of authoritarian policing could be shown as originating in austerity measures. However, these transformations have relied upon a large degree of continuity with previous periods of capitalism. Key continuities were the reliance on the coercive control of the racialised poor or the general role of the police to fabricate social order, which were intensified and transformed in the neoliberal era. These findings are significant because they help us qualify the novelty and distinctiveness of neoliberalisation, add to debates about its proper periodisation and, through the focus on policing, contribute a perspective on authoritarian state institutions that has not been developed in the canon of authoritarian neoliberalism.