Towards a theory of illiberal dualisation? Conceptualising new employment and social policy divisions in Poland and the United Kingdom

Right-wing populist approaches to employment and social policy have become increasingly prevalent in recent years; such ideas stigmatise ‘others’ such as immigrants and the unemployed, while advocating the transfer of resources to favoured groups. In this article, based on a study of Poland and the United Kingdom, we contend that such developments are indicative of illiberal forms of dualisation and assess the relationship of trade unions with these processes. In conclusion, we discuss ways in which future investigations might develop more understanding of this concept