Year of the Rat: Undercover in the British Far Right

by Harry Shukman

SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES CHARLOTTE AITKEN YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD

‘Important and courageous’ James O’Brien

'A tense account of going undercover inside Britain's far-right groups. At times it reads like a novel...only the stakes are real' Sunday Times

Harry Shukman led a double life. Friends and family knew him as a journalist, but unbeknownst to them he was secretly infiltrating the British far right. Equipped with a hidden camera, he posed as 'Chris' and set out to expose right-wing extremists.

From canvassing with Britain First to befriending Holocaust deniers, neo-Nazis and a Silicon Valley-backed race-science organisation, Shukman again and again risked his safety and sanity to remove the far right’s terrifyingly everyday mask.

Now, we must ensure it stays off.

'Anyone who wants to understand British politics has to read this book.' Grace Blakeley, author of Vulture Capitalism

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Audiobook, Race, Far Right, British Literature, Ebooks

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 8, 2025

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish men could be lonely without making it everyone else’s fucking problem

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew [Sabisky] is hoping to build contacts within the Labour Party to continue influencing the next wave of policymakers... Tantalisingly, he says he ‘made friends with a spad in Starmer’s policy unit’. I ask as directly as I can who this might be, but he refuses to be drawn.
Andrew’s claim, the night we met at dinner last year, that he was ‘well-networked’ was not bluster. Despite his defenestration from the government for supporting race science, he is back in politics, almost as powerful as before... Andrew may not have changed since he first started talking about race and intelligence. He has, however, learned to alter his tactics. During our conversation, he reveals that he has been involved in pronatalist lobbying in the UK.

Tracing a year of being undercover and infiltrating a number of far-right extremist organisations, this starts off exactly where we would expect with the neo-Nazi, Holocaust deniers of groups like the Basketweavers who prey on the loneliness and alienation of young men; Patriotic Alternative, Identity England and Britain First. Their rhetoric of anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim feelings and generalised racism intersects with misogyny (they lament their lack of girlfriends and wives while asserting women shouldn't be allowed to have bank accounts) and, sometimes, a desire to replace democracy with authoritarian dictatorships. So far, so expected, even while we are stunned at the conspiracy theories that abound in these communities who profess proof for a flat earth, time machine technology which 'elites' are withholding and the idea that Stonehenge is as fake as Auschwitz.

But it's the second half that becomes really chilling as Shukman traces the resurgence of race science, eugenics and pronatalism alongside a far smarter far-right mode of operating. Backed by Silicon Valley investors, the Kremlin's shady presence and networks that penetrate to Number 10 (under Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, and now targeting Keir Starmer's government), these are the seemingly 'rational', 'objective', scientifically-based' people we really need to watch as they seek to control the gene pool and limit women's rights not just to conception but to, ideally, restrict our access to education, money and work as a means, apparently, of forcing white women to have more babies.

Backed by Hope Not Hate and having published a series of articles based on this undercover research in The Guardian, this is as much about Shukman's probing of his own conscience at his methods as it is on what he finds - particularly in the first sections, he feels a sympathy and empathy for young men searching for a solution to loneliness that leads them to being deliberately exploited and radicalised by the far-right. But that falls away in the second half, as a far slicker, globalised, well-funded movement centred on race science, eugenics and pronatalism emerges.

Obligatory reading, I'd say, for anyone interested in UK politics and beyond.

[William K.Z. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable journalistic furever, this guy goes above and beyond to give us a peek behind the far right curtain.

Unfortunately, it’s exactly as terrible, disorganised and unconvincing as you might imagine. Very enjoyable read though.

*Audio book listen

[James Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

We need community more than ever. How is the far right a viable option for so many lonely men.

[Viktoria Ungvari · Rating 5 out of 5]

made me miss pubs (really not the point of the book)

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

i feel conflicted because while i understand that it's important to understand these groups from the inside to really get to grips with the problem of the stain of the far right on british society, shukman makes several good points about the morality of his part in it all. he does, as he acknowledges, put money directly into a neo nazi's pocket, and spends several days campaigning for a far right political party, the impact of which can't be measured by a disclaimer. the mental and emotional impact it also had on shukman himself to have to put himself in these dangerous situations is also commendable but in a way i feel morally unjust. i also can't say i feel any of the sympathy shukman attempts to make us feel that these men in horrifically racist, homophobic, transphobic and misogynistic fringe groups are just victims of a non existent male loneliness epidemic. maybe they'd be less lonely if they weren't so horrendously politically aligned - they don't need a social programme to remedy or realign their political views, they need their brains rewiring.

[Euan Washbourn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting and very depressing in places. Didn’t learn anything ground breaking though. Chapter on race science could’ve have been half as long and wasn’t really about brits. Hard to make something as serious and frightening slightly dull but the author manages it

[Joe Groom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, some scary people live among us. Read the conclusion and cried but the stories w in this are crucial to understanding the current uk political system and how/why people are becoming so radicalised. We have to regulate tech companies and they have to be socialised rather than allowing them prioritising a profit based model.
In addition, hearing some of the language that is used among this “red pilled” community is terrifying to see how the current US Administration openly talks to their base through mainstream broadcasts.

[Willy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unreal read from The Sunday Times young writer of the year. Harry/Chris seems like a good guy too. Buzzing for the next one

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the serious topic, I laughed multiple times…. But as amusing as it to be reassured large parts of the far right are currently the pathetic cliches we envision - just some bastard love child of BrassEye & Monty Python sketches, acted out by flat roofed pub regulars - it’s also deeply troubling to look at the educated, rich & politically connected contingent, their unhinged beliefs, & how they are manipulating greater support & insidiously spreading their ideology.

Harry spent a year undercover in various groups, including well known ones like Britain First, & his reflections on this are an engaging read for anyone from the UK. Because sadly, these groups have mastered the art of drawing in men who are lonely, who want to matter, to feel important, or whose lives haven’t turned out how they envisioned, & offering them the mirage of community, purpose, & value (&/or scapegoats). It’s easy to feel sorry for some of them, to see how better social emotional support & education would have avoided their far right journey. But what’s left largely unexamined here is what came first, the chicken or the egg / loneliness or abhorrent beliefs.

What I found most interesting was the tactics of courting negative press, in the hopes it gains traction with people who hate to see others ‘unjustly’ attacked. This is a serious issue with the rise of the ‘respectable’ Right & Reform. When the Centre & Left won’t engage properly in the discussions of the negatives associated with our immigration systems, or the aspects of genuine concern with the slide towards a real life Idiocracy, the door is left wide open for xenophobia, nationalism & eugenics - when what is really needed is reduced wealth inequality (financially & geographically), improved education, community building & facilities.

Pick up & embrace the rollercoaster of horrified giggles through to stomach churning revulsion at the morality void operating near the top of these systems. Those embracing the far right to justify their own privilege are the worst - including some who support “not genocide”-ing a people out of the gene pool & promoting speciation. Sometimes we need to look inside the other echo chambers.

[Jade Anastasia]

First of all, huge props to Harry for even wanting to go undercover for this research let alone managing to keep his sanity while doing it, this was some heavy journalism!

Terrifying but also we kind of knew this was the shit going on behind closed doors in the far right. Broaching topics like immigration, eugenics, antisemitism and race science alongside the people in these groups opinions on them, this isn’t a light read. It does cover up to reform elections and Stockport riots so it is incredibly relevant to right now and I feel in these next few years leading into the next election in 29.

I do feel like this book does a good job on also discussing how these groups really do exploit vulnerable people who are lonely and in search of community and it’s really a slippery pipeline of beliefs from that point. As I’m sure many others have, I’ve seen friends and family go down this route and it did make me better understand how it happened and what I can do in those conversations going forward.

[Fer Prz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always approach books that delve into right leaning or left leaning politics with a healthy dose of skepticism. There’s always an agenda at play. Facts and tangible actions should always complement this kind of reading, no matter which side.

This book draws on a definition of the far right as outlined by Cas Mudde, a political scientist at the University of Georgia. He describes it as an 'anti-system' ideology, hostile to liberal democracy. Far-right beliefs tend to encompass a mix of authoritarianism, sexism, xenophobia, racism and populism. Extreme right ideologies believe that inequalities are natural and outside of the purview of the state.

I enjoyed the book since it covered a lot of topics that are mentioned by young streamers. Right/Left wing grifting through social media is something I’ve spoken about with my teenage kids. The more informed we all are the better.

The author Harry Shukman is a journalist and activist based in the UK. He works for HOPE not hate, a self proclaimed anti fascist organization. Using a pseudonym, Harry develops an alternate persona named ‘Chris’ to infiltrate several right wing groups.

Chris spends a year commingling with several groups to understand their motivations, aspirations, and investors. It should come as no surprise that there are targeted and well funded efforts to influence society and it is happening in the digital and physical space. These right leaning groups are fringe and don’t have a lot of influence or resources. Based on the author’s findings, the great replacement theory or the fear of being manipulated by Jewish propaganda through the mainstream media are used by actors to recruit people that are easily fooled or are vulnerable to outlandish ideas such as semen retention.

It mostly discredits the groups and minimizes them to simpletons but the threat of violence is always present. After all a simpleton with a weapon and wicked thoughts is very dangerous.

Race science, eugenics, deportation, asylum protest/attacks were some of the topics that overlapped within these groups. As a Puerto Rican, I got reminded of our past with the recent performance by Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl. Some of these ideas were put to practice on the “second tier” U.S. citizens a few decades ago.

I have a 30 something year old family member that’s always parroting some points raised in this book. But when we offer push back or offer counter arguments, the response is “it’s just to get people to react”. Right wing radicalism and extremism sometimes just needs a small gap to make a breakthrough. It has happened in the past and is ever developing in the present.

[Marybeth ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, I was quite scared for him in some parts with the undercover work and cameras!
However, I can’t say I’m entirely surprised that these neo Nazi men are finding it hard connecting with real people, especially in pursuit of their “perfect white race”.
I wasn’t surprised to find the funding came from wealthy Silicon Valley morons either.
Elon musk continually popping up is also a frightening reminder that we really need to pay heed to what these delusional rich people are saying.

Some men are not lonely enough!

[Martha Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first audiobook and my first non-fiction in like 3/4 years

Bit of a crazy listen, the type of crazy conspiracy stuff I am convinced doesn’t happen actually does happen?

I need someone with kindle highlights to read this book so everyone can see how unhygienic the far right are x

I hate that we have to be nice to loser lonely men to make them believe minorities and women are people too :(

[Kathryn Hancock · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars- this was (obviously) deeply depressing. Perhaps these lonely men should try filling their time with something other than racism????

[Lottie Tyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so much

[Charlotte De Klerck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arguably the most important book I have read all year.

I thought I knew a lot about the far right underworld. Turns out I knew close to nothing about its depth.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fascinating and obviously somewhat terrifying. I was struck by despite the varying political success of these different factions, just how socially dysfunctional many of these siloed communities or big characters proved to be in private settings.

It obviously makes sense, right? These people are losers by definition, pushed to societal fringes and extreme ideas. But couples squabbling at length over menu options, self-proclaimed betting aficionados admitting their next bet is all they have left, and supposedly serious political leaders raging at their social circles constituting unreliable layabouts and drunks who piss on tents. There’s moments of brief respite as you sort of revel in the failures and awkwardness of these groups in which Shukman has embedded himself.

Then, of course, the fear comes back - for every story of supposed influencers overstating their reputations and then feeling betrayed when their communities don’t support them in times of need, there’s a political operative unable to keep quiet about just how close they’ve gotten to the levers of power, and just which big names have provided them with ample financial backing.

I would’ve liked more discussion/analysis on these individual characters or the ways in which the different subfactions operate (how they recruit, who do they target and how, what are their biggest barriers to success, etc) as Shukman has obviously picked up a lot of insights, and sometimes it feels like he might have more to say. However, it feels hard to ask for any more from a journalistic perspective because the sheer scope of the project, which is really impressive. Good book, horrendous topic!

[Larry Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply, deeply terrifying

[W.S. Luk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chronicling an ambitious undercover investigation into Britain's far-right, YEAR OF THE RAT examines the inner workings of these groups and how they entice people, from regular civilians to major figures in government and business, into racist and extremist ideologies. I'd read about Hope Not Hate's investigation into the Human Diversity Foundation last year, and was pleased to get a more in-depth look at how far-right groups operate and construct a mask of legitimacy. Shukman paints an unsparing but empathetic portrait of his subjects, showing how many are motivated by alienation and loneliness, but also highlighting the legitimate threats posed by ideologies like Holocaust denial and anti-immigrant conspiracy theories. Anyone who's appreciated works of investigative journalism like Jamie Tahsin's Clown World: Four Years Inside Andrew Tate's Manosphere will find YEAR OF THE RAT a worthwhile analysis of modern-day extremism.

[Jesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

honestly at the end i was just left staggered. it all goes so deep, and it’s so well funded

[Phoebe Gillespie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, at first I wasn’t sure what the book was trying to do. A man goes undercover to racist events and is shocked to hear… racist things? For a few chapters I couldn’t quite tell who the intended audience was. But as it went on, the point started to land, and quite powerfully: this isn’t about stating the obvious, it’s about showing how casually and confidently these views are expressed when they think no one is watching.

Weirdly, it ended up reassuring me. It validated a lot of what I already believe about these groups and the ecosystem around them, and made me feel quite grounded in my own political alignment. If anything, it convinced me I’ve made the right calls in how I interpret the far-right rhetoric we see online and in the news.

What did genuinely sadden me was the way these movements feed off the male loneliness epidemic. So many of the men Shukman meets aren’t real ideologues, they’re just isolated, directionless, or desperate for someone to tell them they matter. It’s bleak that extremist groups have learned to weaponise that.

And then there’s the infighting. The egos. The little power struggles. The obsession with money, gross wealth and self-importance inside these tiny organisations like Britain First and others practically tripping over themselves for donations, YouTube views, “clout”. It honestly makes them look too chaotic and self-serving to ever become anything significant.

Where the book really steps up a level is when Shukman moves into the more elite, quietly influential corners of the far right. The Andrew Sabisky chapters are fascinating and concerning, especially the conversations about routes to Indefinite Leave to Remain and how this makes me this…did this intersect with Labour’s shifting immigration policy?! That part felt genuinely unsettling. I can’t help wondering; is he still influencing things from the shadows? And if so, how far does that reach go?

I was fully absorbed by the end, I learned a lot (sadly), and it was very compelling. Highly recommended.

[Niamh Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this was a wonderful piece of journalism this book doesn’t sit completely right with me for a few reasons: Fiirstly, a lot of the conclusions/evidence that Shukman finds have been both intuitive and apparent to me (and i think anyone with an online presence/interest in politics) for a while now. Yes, people actually do believe the crazy tinfoil hat conspiracy theories you’ve heard. Perhaps this book would have been of more value to an ignorant centrist who refuses to believe that this kind of vile racism ‘actually exists’ in real life? If Shukman is trying to provide undeniable proof to expose the existence of these communities, then he wholeheartedly succeeds. Secondly, i found that large sections of the book focused on Shukman’s fear that his undercover mission would be found out, rather than further in depth discussion of the circles he infiltrated. I do not doubt that Shukman is a very brave man who put himself at significant risk researching the far right - but after the 10th mention it became a little repetitive. Finally, i cannot comprehend how someone can sit alongside some of the most vile, pathetic, hateful men for a year and still manage to conjure up some kind of empathy for them. Understanding does not have to require empathy or sympathy. I truly do not give a fuck if these men are lonely!

[Miranda]

Think I caught something that slipped through the net: the book mentions that Blinkist was founded by Erik Ahrens, but I can't find any evidence of this online. Nor is there an in-text citation to back this up. Genuinely shocking if Blinkist really is a far-right vehicle as this book claims; can't say I've used it myself, but I know it's popular. But, if it's not true... then this is quite a serious false accusation, no?

Maybe more thoughts to come, but this is a difficult book to review

[Matthew McGoldrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloody hell. This is depressing but really important. Harry's time as "Chris" is a very grim journey into an insidious movement which cannot be ignored. It's an extremely confronting and tense book - both in the immediate sense ("how much danger is Harry in this chapter") and in the long term sense ("how fucked are we as a society").

It's probably obvious to most of us how much our country is starting to lean to the right, but this book really crystallised to me how calculated and deliberate some of that leaning has been - with racist organisations and people privately influencing real seats of power slowly from behind the scenes.

To say I enjoyed this would be incorrect, as I spent most of it a combination of surprised, intrigued, and deeply sad, but I think it's very good and very prescient and very worth reading.

[Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absurd level of bravery and journalistic integrity to brave the swamp of Far-Right ideology and their inner workings.

Harry uncovers the interconnected and ambitious nature of the far-right in Britain and the slippery slope of social ostracism - a few pints with seemingly innocuous communities can rapidly descend to radicalism and a willingness to cause real and serious damage to the lives we live.

Terrifying reminder of the very real and very present danger of far-right ideology across the country and a stark spotlight on the not-too-distant relationship between your local cell of shouty and aggressive racists to the political elite who espouse identical ideologies.

Incredible book. Well done, Harry, Patrik, and HOPEnotHate.

[Layla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really brilliant journalism, truly.

Was it eye-opening? Not entirely (apart from maybe the whole scientific racism aspect, as I admittedly had no idea it all went so far), but what it did do is confirm a lot of thing I already knew to be true about the extreme right: The extreme right wingers are all delusional, gullible, close-minded and absolutely insane. On top of this, the leaders of the groups mentioned are all egoistic wannabe cult leaders and their views are filled with hatred and incelesque lack of accountability.

It is such a shame and rather frightening that people fall for this propaganda and saddening to see the UK seemingly fall further towards these ideologies. I mean let's face it: Is today's government that far off the groups Harry Shukman encountered?

[Charlotte Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given their obsession with Britain becoming racially and culturally homogeneous, the racists don’t mind a bit of curry and Chinese.

Seriously tho this is a masterclass in journalism and undercover reporting. Stunning revelations shared freely after a few pints of Stella, with the promise of a bit of cash to fund twisted nonsense.

The book ends with concern that Labour might try to adopt Reform’s stance on immigration in future.
Depressingly, in the six months since this was published, that’s already happened and Farage looks likely to win a majority at the next election.

Little to be hopeful about

[Jack Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrifying look in to the inner workings of the fear mongering, conspiracy theorising, hate peddling far right.

This book clearly displays the systematic bullying, greed and deceit within the underground far right groups, whilst addressing common themes of loneliness and inadequacy that might lead someone to diving deeper in to far right views.

A fantastic book.

“If we are to counteract the growing influence of the far right. We cannot take at face value, their claims of moderation.”

[Marley Rollins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fascinating bit of investigative journalism, and the author reads the audiobook so well- it's so tense and engaging, and he really conveys the stress and anxiety around the risks of getting caught so well. I would say I don't feel like it was that revelatory, other than that I didn't know that there was as prominent a eugenics movement. It's not exactly hugely surprising that far-right communities are even more racist in their private communities. But it was a really interesting and gripping read nonetheless. I would have liked maybe more solutions for how we tackle the problem at the end of the book, but that's maybe a bit unfair, as it's not really the point of the book.