Matt Goodwin

Matthew Goodwin (born December 1981) is a British conservative political commentator, former right-wing political candidate, and former academic. He is known for his research on right-wing movements and right-wing populism in the United Kingdom. Initially an academic commentator on right-wing and far-right politics in the 2000s and 2010s, by the mid-2020s Goodwin was known for his espousing of strong right-wing views similar to those he had previously studied and criticised. He is a presenter on GB News, and the honorary president of Reform UK's student wing, Students Reform. In 2026 he unsuccessfully stood for election in the constituency of Gorton and Denton in a by-election following his nomination by Reform UK. Goodwin's most recent academic role was as a professor of politics in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent, where he was employed for nine years before leaving in July 2024. He also served on the Social Mobility Commission from September 2022 to 2023. He is the author of two Sunday Times Best Sellers: National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy (co-authored with Roger Eatwell) and Values, Voice and Virtue: The New British Politics. He is also the co-author of Revolt on the Right: Explaining Support for the Radical Right in Britain (with Robert Ford), which was long-listed for the 2015 Orwell Prize.