''Despite the political rhetoric about Britain's traditions of 'liberty' and 'tolerance', the UK actually has a long history of inequality and discrimination on grounds of age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and disability ... The first major advances came during the long period of prosperity after 1945, which led to a more confident, less deferential and more open-minded nation: groups which had until then been at best objects of philanthropic concern, and at worst criminalised and persecuted, began organising and speaking for themselves.'' (Quoted from paper) (The paper is only available through the link)