> I’m a smug, bourgeois liberal who lives in North London – so the result felt like a powerful rejection of my entire worldview.

This sentence said just about everything I needed to know about the author. Being smug isn't a badge of honor, and describing oneself as 'smug' is as much of a red flag as a date that shows up late and describes themselves as 'A jealous person' or 'high maintenance'. They believe that they are so special and unique that annoying behavior is actually endearing. Heaven forbid something happens that shakes his worldview.

Edit: Apparently it's ironic humor. This isn't the first or last time I've underestimated just how subtle British humor can be.