Thomas Cranmer: Identity Politics and the Challenge to Conservatism

Kellie-Jay Keen's visit to New Zealand and the Prime Minister's inability to clearly articulate an answer to the question: 'What is a woman?' has seen identity politics break into the local press.

In the aftermath of Kellie-Jay Keen’s visit to New Zealand, the Prime Minister was this week embarrassed at his post-Cabinet press conference when he struggled to articulate a coherent answer to the question: “What is a woman?”.

An article by Stuff’s Thomas Manch yesterday noted that it signalled that a “fraught culture wars issue” had reached New Zealand’s shores from the United Kingdom.

Thomas Cranmer: Identity Politics and the Challenge to Conservatism

In recent years, New Zealand has witnessed a significant rise in identity politics, which poses a considerable challenge to conservative ideology.

Identity politics is a political framework that prioritizes the experiences, perspectives, and concerns of marginalized groups, including ethnic and racial minorities, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others. This framework is in contrast to conservative ideology, which values individualism and traditional social structures.

The rise of identity politics in New Zealand is not surprising, given the country’s increasingly diverse population and its growing significance overseas. New Zealand has a long history of welcoming immigrants from all over the world, and this has contributed to the country’s rich cultural heritage.