B ritish Pluralism

Abstract

Pluralism began in the academy as a philosophical tendency but soon emerged as a powerful force in shaping the ideas and ideologies of major parties in British politics, in particular promoting a distinctively liberal view of the role of the state reconciling equality with liberty. In the postwar era, the pluralist political tradition began to shape dominant views of race, integration, and multiculturalism, leading to an enduring consensus in party politics. This liberal, pluralist consensus in Britain had largely disintegrated by the first decade of the twenty‐first century, however, and appears unlikely to be rebuilt in the near future.