Class struggles in Britain in the 1960’s and 70’s led to greater divisions amongst the people. Because of the ideological desire for something to benefit the people amid increasing social chaos, socialism looked attractive and many Marxist ideas gained popularity and support. This struggle was echoed throughout much of the world. The French Revolution was perceived as a great success for democracy. Its three key aims of liberty, equality and fraternity became desirable objectives.

In the late 1960’s, the concept of moral decline in society was introduced by the right to explain crumbling traditional values. For example by 1968, students in France were rioting. This period of minor revolt was echoed throughout the world. All sides recognised that changes urgently needed to be made. The law and order element of politics made its first appearance, aimed at targets of a non political kind, including, student movements, counter cultures, the drift towards moral permissiveness, and the conflict between authority and social values. Many, Marxists amongst the great masses became detached from their nations traditional ideologies. Their growing power

rn to traditional values regarding law and order were welcomed.

These explosive problems took on a new urgency. Something had to change to break the stalemate. Marx said that the only way to achieve change was through revolution after a crisis. The right was also convinced, perhaps for the first time in post war political history, that everything could not continue in the old way. The right was forced to renovate and reform itself. It formed a political ideological force of an altogether new kind. It committed itself to the philosophy that in order to conserve it must reform.

By the 1980’s it was clear that communism had failed to deliver better living standards for the masses than capitalism, and it caused stagnation of the economy. Despite Gorbochovs attempt to save communism with Glasnost and Perestroika, it did not recover. The international political move to the right with Reagan in the USA, Mitterand in France, Gorbochov in the soviet union and Thatcher in Britain, all saw a need to restart the economy.

With Thatcherism, the new hegemonic voice in Britain persuaded the people that unemployment, reduced welfare benefits, privatisation of public services, deregulation, and centralisation, which led to greater governmental control, was in their interests. They achieved this by convincing them that what these reforms did was give every individual the opportunity for advancement, any individual who suffered, did so because they were lazy. In other words the individual had the freedom to choose. This new concept of the individual being in control of his own destiny led to the end of the trade unions.

caused a cry to come from below for the restoration of the old order, for discipline and moral regulation. Social forma

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