What ails Britain’s left-behind places?
Two new books offer different views on the country’s troubled towns
![The back garden of a property with clothes hanging on a washing line in Sheffield, UK.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240629_CUP004.jpg)
Eight years ago Britain shook. Confounding many opinion polls—and against the advice of every major political party—a majority of people voted to leave the European Union. Political havoc ensued. The Conservative Party quickly lost two prime ministers, rebounded under Boris Johnson, then collapsed again. The party will probably be crushed in the general election on July 4th.
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Here and there”
Culture June 29th 2024
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