The types of industries dominating a local area can significantly influence the electoral success of radical-right political parties, according to new research from a King's College London academic.
Dr Ruben Ruiz Rufino found that communities with clusters of workers in labour-intensive sectors consistently showed higher levels of support for radical-right movements than areas dominated by knowledge-based industries.
The study, published in the journal Political Studies, sought to examine how local economic environments shape political attitudes across Europe.
Using municipal data from Spain, Dr Ruiz Rufino found that towns with high exposure to labour-intensive activities, such as agriculture, hospitality, and construction, recorded markedly stronger radical-right vote shares. On average, support for such parties was about seven percentage points higher in municipalities heavily exposed to these industries compared with others.
Dr Ruiz Rufino also analysed survey responses from individuals across 17 Western European nations. He found that workers in labour-intensive sectors were more likely to develop exclusionary attitudes, particularly where job insecurity and lower education levels were common. These factors, when concentrated geographically, were strongly linked to support for radical-right parties.
The research also highlighted the importance of geography as well as individual circumstances. Rather than poverty alone, it was the clustering of workers facing similar economic risks that shaped political preferences. In areas where job vulnerability and lower educational attainment were widespread, expressing hard-line political views may also carry fewer social costs.
Dr Ruiz Rufino, from the Department of Political Economy, said the study findings have potential policy implications.
He said: "One such implication concerns the political consequences of development strategies: Economic plans that promote agglomeration of labour-intensive industries may inadvertently encourage demand for nativist and exclusionary narratives."
Dr Ruiz Rufino said the results also highlight the possible role of education policies in strengthening social cohesion in such areas, and of the need to monitor the effects of AI introduction in areas where labour-intensive industries are clustered.
