Conclusions

The formation of the Coalition represented a radical departure from the post-war norms of British politics. Yet apart from seemingly casting doubt on the value of coalition as a form of government, the last five years during which the Coalition has been responsible for running Britain have had relatively little impact on public opinion. The Britain of 2010 was doubtful about increasing public expenditure, tough on welfare, accepting of the principle of tuition fees, sceptical about Europe and distrustful of politics and politicians. Britain today looks much the same. But far from suggesting that the last five years have left little imprint, this stability suggests that what five years ago might still have been regarded as exceptional trends are in fact now part of the fabric of British public opinion. As such, they are trends of which the next government will have to take due notice.

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