1. Political Culture/Cleavages in the United Kingdom

2. Religions in the UK Anglican: 26.1 million Roman Catholic: 5.7 million
Presbyterian: 2.6 million
Methodist: 1.3 million
Other Christian: 2.6 million
Muslim: 1.5 million
Hindu: 500,000
Sikh: 330,000
Jewish: 260,000
Other: 300,000
No religion: 8.6 million
Did not state a religion: 4.4 million

3. Noblesse Oblige
= The duty of the upper classes to take responsibility for the welfare of the lower classes
Important tradition in British politics
Legacy of feudal times (Lords protected serfs)
Reflected in willingness of British citizens to accept a welfare state
Margaret Thatcher’s administration challenged this by significantly cutting social services and social welfare programs

4. Ethnic Minorities Make up about 8% of the British population:
Indian (23%)
Pakistani (16%)
Afro-Caribbean (13%)
Black African (11%)

5. A Common UK identity?

6. Political Beliefs & Values
Through 1960s British political culture characterized by:
Trust
Deference to authority and competence
Pragmatism
Harmony
High voter participation
1945 to mid-1970s = Collectivist Consensus

7. Collective Consensus
Began during WWII with Churchill’s emphasis on putting class differences aside in order to work together to defeat Germany
The spirit of collective consensus continued beyond the war into the 1970s
Both Labour and Conservative parties supported the development of the modern welfare system
Beveridge Report – adopted by both parties during the war, made all citizens eligible for health, unemployment, pension, and other welfare benefits
National Health Service (1948) – created under the leadership of the Labour Party
One of world’s largest govt. health services

8. Political Beliefs & Values : “Politics of Protest”
1970s and beyond: Altered views
Less supportive of collective consensus
Support for free market economy
Decreasing support for labor unions
Increased violence in Northern Ireland
IRA
Thatcherism (Conservative Party in power)
New Labour (Third Way)

9. Insularity
Feeling of separation, in particular from the continent of Europe
Sense of exceptionalism
Has created friction with the EU
Never adopted the idea of the single currency (the Euro)
Different from isolationism