BRITAIN has become a more tolerant society at the same time as populist political attitudes have grown throughout Europe, according to surveys released today.

The latest British social attitudes survey revealed that anti-abortion and homophobic views are increasingly marginalised across society. 

Comparisons with views expressed in 1980 showed progress on almost all issues.

Only 9 per cent now believe same-sex relationships are wrong, down from 50 per cent, while 76 per cent support a woman’s right to an abortion, up from 37 per cent four decades ago.

An exception was views towards transgender people, with negative attitudes growing in recent years, though women remained markedly more tolerant than men.

The survey also noted that young people are now clearly more left wing than older people, something it attributed to issues around inequality and housing shortages.

Similar questions are likely among those powering a surge in support for populist politics of various sorts across Europe. 

Research led by the University of Amsterdam found that a third of the electorate is now voting for anti-Establishment parties.

The number of those voters backing far-right parties is the element growing most rapidly, it warned, adding that established parties, including Britain’s Conservatives, were increasingly tolerant of extreme right ideas and values.

Academic Matthijs Rooduijn warned that populism threatened “a free press, independent courts, protection for minorities – that are an essential part of a liberal democracy.”

But study co-author Andrea Pirro laid the blame on establishment parties of right and left. 

“There’s been a progressive detachment from societal demands,” he said.