I think the high trust to low trust societal spectrum is a major explanator (1).
No need to police the other if you believe you’ve, more or less, each other’s best interest at heart. It’s that that’s disappeared.
UK has always been a thrown together of multiple countries and colonies, with remaining animosity. They’ve been a low trust society (at least at the national level) for longer than other countries have.
I think the high trust to low trust societal spectrum is a major explanator (1).
No need to police the other if you believe you’ve, more or less, each other’s best interest at heart. It’s that that’s disappeared.
UK has always been a thrown together of multiple countries and colonies, with remaining animosity. They’ve been a low trust society (at least at the national level) for longer than other countries have.
That’s my guess at least.