Robert Jenrick is wrong about the culture wars

To some people, the culture wars don’t matter. They are an irrelevance, an indulgence. A distraction from the material, bread-and-butter concerns of ordinary people, like paying the bills or finding an affordable place to live. This sentiment was echoed by Robert Jenrick, the Conservative leadership contender. As reported in the Times yesterday, Jenrick told a meeting of young activists that he didn’t want his party to ‘go down a rabbit hole of culture wars’, and that the public were more concerned about the cost of living and public services than gender issues.

While it’s true that politicians should focus on immediate, everyday matters that affect us all, Jenrick is wrong to discount how an ultra-liberal ideology affects us in profound, tangible ways. The culture war is not an idle luxury. It is timely and necessary.

As widely reported today, a new survey has shown that pride in Britain’s history has plummeted to record lows.