Britain’s quarter century: Blair, populism and the battle over human rights

Summer 2001. Tony Blair had just won a second thumping election victory, promising opportunity for all. The new census showed a nation losing its religion, more inclined to live alone and more ethnically diverse. The maximum temperature was a tepid 32°C in west London in late June, while the twin towers rose tall and proud as always over the New York skyline. Twenty five years on, we wanted to look at how the UK has changed. Welcome to the first of a six-part report from a group of 35…