The Empire Never Died

After the Second World War, Britain gave up its empire and stepped back from the international stage. The state dismantled its imperial apparatus and refashioned itself as a force for good in the world.

Or that's the myth the British establishment wants you to believe.

Matt Kennard shows the truth is very different. The acclaimed journalist and founder of Declassified UK has spent years battling to expose secrets the government would rather were kept hidden. Bringing together testimony from the officials who designed the system and the victims of Britain's foreign policy, he uncovers for the covert programmes that still destabilise the global landscape.

The Empire Never Died takes us on a worldwide tour of the places where Britain still has a profound-and negative-impact: the RAF bases in Cyprus facilitating Israel's genocide in Gaza; the military and intelligence base in Gibraltar used to spy on North Africa; and Britain's key support for Saudi Arabia during its savage war on Yemen.

From lying, war-hungry politicians to corrupt arms deals, from exploitative oil companies to overreaching spy surveillance, Britain is far from an innocent actor on the world stage. The empire didn't end; it just learned to cover its tracks.