Are British ppl less tolerant compared to the 1980s
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Executive summary
Public-attitude surveys and academic studies show Britain has, on many measures, become more tolerant since the 1980s — for example, younger cohorts today show markedly greater acceptance of racial diversity and homosexuality than their counterparts in the 1980s [1]. At the same time, recent polling and commentary warn of rising hostility toward migrants, refugees and certain minority groups in some parts of the population, producing competing narratives about whether Britain is “less tolerant” now [2] [3].
1. Long-term trends: measurable increases in some kinds of tolerance
Multiple academic analyses using British Social Attitudes and related surveys conclude that tolerance toward racial minorities and homosexuality has increased since the 1980s, especially among younger cohorts — contemporary youth are described as “more tolerant of racial diversity and of homosexuality than older age groups and previous generations” [1] [4]. NatCen’s long-running British Social Attitudes project exists precisely to track such shifts and documents widespread attitudinal change since the early 1980s [5].
2. Not all tolerance moves in the same direction — complexity matters
Scholars warn that “tolerance” is not a single thing: acceptance of interracial marriage or gay rights can rise while hostility to immigration or perceived competition from newcomers can ebb and flow. Janmaat and Keating and related analyses show that some measures — for instance, opinions about immigrant neighbours or perceptions of ethnic competition — have sometimes reversed or risen again after declines, indicating non‑linear trends rather than simple steady improvement [1] [4].
3. Recent evidence of increased hostility toward migrants and refugees
Contemporary polling and commentary show a sharper public scepticism on immigration, refugees and asylum seekers. Reader’s Digest–style and other 2025 surveys report high shares of respondents expressing negative views about refugees and estimating immigrant numbers far above reality, which commentators link to rising resentment and a sense that Britain has grown less generous toward newcomers [2]. Opinion pieces in national outlets argue the political climate has normalised more aggressive rhetoric about race and migration [3].
4. Political context and media narratives shape perceptions of tolerance
Changes in political leadership, high-profile policy shifts and media framing influence how people experience tolerance in everyday life. Contemporary debates over immigration policy and law, and the prominence of parties and politicians campaigning on tougher stances, feed perceptions that Britain is becoming less tolerant — irrespective of measured changes across other attitude scales [6] [3]. Academic work stresses caution: apparent backsliding on some items can reflect short‑term political cycles rather than permanent cultural reversal [4].
5. Historical baseline matters: the 1980s were not uniform tolerance
Comparing today to the 1980s requires remembering the 1980s included overt racist violence and organised far‑right activity; historians and reviewers note that many forms of prejudice were socially and institutionally entrenched then [7] [8]. Studies find that much of the attitudinal change since the 1980s involved movement away from those overt forms, meaning some modern freedoms and legal protections reflect real progress [1] [8].
6. What the data do and do not say — limits of current reporting
Available sources document survey trends and scholarly interpretations but show variation by question, group and period: some indicators improved markedly; others rose and then fell again [1] [4]. Sources do not provide a single, definitive measure that labels Britain overall “more” or “less” tolerant across all domains; that binary is not found in the cited literature [1] [5]. Where opinion polls in 2025 show heightened hostility to migrants, academic trend data still record long‑term gains in many areas [2] [1].
7. Competing narratives — progress versus recent backlash
Two competing, evidence-backed narratives emerge from the sources: one documents sustained liberalisation on race and sexual orientation since the 1980s [1] [5]; the other highlights rising anti‑immigrant sentiment and media/ political normalisation of harsher rhetoric in recent years [2] [3]. Both are true in their domains; the policy implication is that progress is fragile and contingent on institutions, law and political leadership [8].
8. Bottom line for the question “Are British people less tolerant compared to the 1980s?”
The most defensible answer in the sources is nuanced: on many core dimensions (race relations, attitudes to homosexuality) Britain is demonstrably more tolerant than in the 1980s, especially among younger cohorts [1] [5]; however, specific contemporary attitudes — notably towards refugees, asylum seekers and immigration — show increased hostility in some polls and public debate, producing a credible sense of retrenchment in parts of society [2] [3]. Available sources do not provide a single overall metric that settles the question once and for all [1] [4].