The collapse of Britain’s political center

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s rapid loss of political authority has been widely seen as a British peculiarity. But the same malaise can be found across other rich industrialized societies. Starmer may be a decent and intelligent man, but like so many other leaders today, he faces an impossible task: navigating the treacherous path between the bond market and populist political demands. Starmer’s predicament tells a story not just about the UK, but about modernity — and how it went wrong.