The Origins (1980s) In the UK, “political correctness” started as an in joke borrowed from the US. It was ironic, self mocking, and mostly confined to campuses and broadsheets. Then the tabloids spotted an opportunity
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The Tabloid Era (1990s) UK tabloids weaponised “political correctness gone mad” into a full-blown moral panic industry: “You can’t say Christmas” “You can’t fly the flag” “You can’t call it a blackboard” It worked. The idea that “ordinary people” were under attack by liberal elites took root.
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Farage & Foundations (2000s) By the 2000s, resentment politics was thriving: Inequality widened under successive governments Immigration became a lightning rod Nigel Farage and UKIP rode a wave of EU scepticism, railing against multiculturalism The groundwork for Brexit was being laid.
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Brexit 2016 23 June 2016: The Brexit referendum. 51.9% vote Leave. Slogans ruled the day: “Take Back Control” “We Want Our Country Back” A mythical past Britain was sold, one where “real people” had power. Divisions deepened overnight.
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Post-Brexit Fallout (2016–2020) The promised “sunlit uplands” never arrived. Instead: Economic slowdown Political chaos Tabloid-driven culture wars Statues, migrants, and flags dominated headlines anything but the consequences of Brexit.
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The Anti‑Woke Era (2020s) Enter the “war on woke”: GB News launches Right-wing think tanks fuel outrage Ministers lean on “free speech under attack” narratives Government bills stoke culture war battles Meanwhile, the NHS struggles, buried under endless “snowflake” headlines.
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Where We Are Now Thirty years later, Britain is: Angrier More divided Distracted from real crises What began as a joke about political correctness has mutated into a multi‑billion‑pound grievance industry. Different slogans. Same resentment.
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