History shows that the Conservatives can’t hold back social change | Andy Beckett

Tory election victories haven’t prevented many British people becoming more liberal in their social attitudes

Britain is a conservative country. This is repeated so often that even many of those who want a different society have come to believe it. Especially during long periods of Tory government, when disheartening electoral results and the exercise of rightwing power can feel almost like the whole of politics.

But politics isn’t just about elections and holding office, however much politicians, party activists and Westminster journalists might want that to be the case. It’s also about slower, less noticed, more continuous shifts in public attitudes and behaviour. What we consume; how families function; what we consider a legitimate sexual relationship; which words we use to talk about race. Changes in such things may begin with a few individuals, yet they can alter the distribution of power across society.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3piVXjD

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