@Paul. Not sure I'd agree with you about May being more liberal. From what I remember the Heath government in the 70s was closer to the Liberals than the current one; for one thing, from what I recall, Heath didn't seek to reverse a lot of Wilson's socialist policies? Thatcher definitely moved to the right with, as noted by Freddie, the "on your bike culture". With regard to liberalism and the current Birmingham protesters surely "clause 28" puts Thatcher firmly on the protesters' side? May is more liberal than that but not, perhaps, as liberal as Heath was? Perhaps the Liberal party has become more right wing which puts May closer without her needing to be more liberal - it certainly helped Cameron form his coalition? The Liberal/LibDems have evolved from having a pact with Labour in the 1970s to a recent coalition with the Tories. And remember Peter Hain transitioned over time from a Liberal in Putney to a Labour MP in Neath. Ms Greening and oldies like Ken Clarke seem closer to the current LibDems than to their average Tory colleagues at the moment - my opinion based on perception. Anyway, I think Mrs May's government's treatment of immigrants - particularly those termed Windrush who in many cases were British citizens but couldn't prove it - puts her firmly in the illiberal, authoritarian camp. Contrast that with Heath's government's acceptance of Ugandan Asians in 1972 - and I have to say I've worked with some of those in IT and they're a great asset to our economy not just because they're great techies but from their background they also understand business, unlike a lot of British IT graduates. So to summarise, my answer to your question is that I'd say the Tories took a sharp right turn from Heath to Thatcher and became illiberal in some social areas, May has extended Thatcher's directions in some areas (look at the growth in food bank users) but is more liberal in some areas such as gay rights; additionally I'd say policing is becoming more authoritarian (the use of cameras, CCTV, etc) rather than community policing - but less effective, and justice is seeking to reform as much as punish to stop red offending but that's not going to work while social services such as youth services and rehabilitation support are starved of cash. However, now she's leaving office perhaps she's moving towards the liberal wing as she's got nothing to lose (for example, criticising Trump) and is worried how her legacy will be perceived? Sorry, a number of disparate thoughts rather hurriedly put together.
Michael Ixer ● 2675d