Andrew Doyle: ‘People are realising that woke is deeply authoritarian’
In a wide-ranging interview, Claire Fox talks to the author and comedian about his new book, 'The End of Woke', and why there is much still to be done to defend freedom.
I was delighted to sit down with author and comedian Andrew Doyle on Monday to discuss his new book, The End of Woke. Unlike some interviewers, I put my hands up straight away and admitted I haven’t read it yet, but I’m very much looking forward to doing so. Andrew is a great writer who manages to combine an openness to debate and new ideas with both wit and a strong moral compass.
One thing that is clear is that while some things have shifted in recent months – from the Cass Review and the UK Supreme Court judgement on the meaning of ‘sex’ in the Equality Act to the start of Donald Trump’s second presidential term – Andrew is very clear that it doesn’t mean that our problems are over. The ‘new puritans’ he identified in his previous book are still very much there and clinging on to their power and influence.
It's now five years since the death of George Floyd and the hysteria around Black Lives Matter, so we reflect on what happened and the negative consequences of a return to judging people, to echo Martin Luther King, according to the colour of their skin rather than the content of their character. We also look at how identity politics and racial thinking has led to a white grievance culture and a tit-for-tat outlook, which Andrew rightly argues has more to do with revenge than with promoting a liberal society.
Above all, our conversation focused on the continued importance of the fight for free speech, even for ‘numpties’ (my description) like those cosplay rebels Kneecap. And we tackle the way in which woke has undermined the search for truth: when even something as common sense as biological sex is called into question, then anything goes – and society suffers.
LISTEN
You can also listen to the conversation on the Academy of Ideas podcast channel here or using your favourite podcast app.
GET THE BOOK
The End of Woke: How the Culture War Went Too Far and What to Expect from the Counter-Revolution by Andrew Doyle is available now via Amazon (UK).