Populism is a response to corrupt and incompetent establishments. There's nothing competent to drive out by the time populism rears its head. It was already long gone.
> Populism is a response to corrupt and incompetent establishments
populism is a response to discontent, nothing more, nothing less. Populists need an in. If the country thinks that the government is doing ok, or they are happy enough as they are, then populism can't spread. Populists need a cause and a scapegoat.
boris was brexit. corbyn was "enough shitting on the poor and young"
That discontent can be caused be anything. As long as a demagogue can lie about it and use it to kill rights and laws to empower themselves.